A Series of Requested Oneshots
by The Godess Freya
Summary: So, this is the last bit of stories from quizilla. They include Bleach, Naruto, and FF7. Each paring is OC/Character and each chapter is a different one-shot. Hope you like it!
1. Byakuya Kuchiki from Bleach

**Now You Feel Like Number One, Shining Bright for Everyone**

****Okay, as a slight disclaimer, I know how the Hōgyoku (the orb Urahara created and Aizen took to create his arrancar army) cannot turn a hollow into a vizard. But for all intensive purposes, it can, if only for a one-shot .

And Urahara (as we know now) only made one Hōgyoku. But again, he for this story, he made two of them. Why? Because he's just awesome like that.

Name: Arana Jaggerjaquez

Age: looks close to 18

Looks: Electric blue hair and orange eyes to match her zanpakto. She's tall and slender, built for agility rather than strength. Her hollow mask covers the left side of her face, and she wears the basic white pants and white overcoat that Grimmjow wears, though she wears a white shirt, much like a bikini top, under the coat.

Additional info: She is Grimmjow's sister hollow, and both of them grew through the ranks to eventually become espada.

Personality: Tempermental like her brother, but also quite lazy at times. She can be motivated to do something, but she will find the quickest and easiest way to accomplish it.

Zanpakto: Amber flame

Shikai: She becomes surrounded by flames and can summon fire creatures to fight alongside of her. Her reiatsu is boosted greatly, though her attack power wanes in shikai form. Thus, she relies on speed of attacks.

* * *

"God I hate this fucking place." Stark peeked at me through one eye, then closed it again.

"Arana, you say that constantly." I tossed my blue hair behind my shoulders, partly in anger, partly to see the lazy espada on the floor.

"Doesn't make it any less true," I replied, throwing my feet up onto the table in front of me. "Aizen thinks he can rule us all-"

"He has been."

"Shut up, Stark. He's not my ruler and he will never be."

"So you've said."

"Why the hell do you go under him?"

"He made us into what we are. Don't we owe him?

"I don't owe him shit."

"Didn't he make you into an espada?" I tipped my chair back, lounging just as Stark was. It was a bad habit ours, one we didn't feel the need to correct.

"I chose to let him turn me. If Grimmjow hadn't have become an espada, I never would have consented."

"Then he would have destroyed you and probably your brother," Stark said on a yawn. He let his words sink in before straying into his next topic. "You know, I've heard some odd rumors."

"Of what?" I grumbled, still in a foul mood.

"Of people who are the opposite of espadas."

"Opposite? What are you talking about?"

"Just as I said it. They're shinigami with hollows inside of them."

"Interesting. I would have to venture that Aizen made them for his army as well. Sounds like something the bastard would do." Stark shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just passing the information along."

"You're such a dick. You know I'm going to have to go and investigate now."

"Yup. Then I can sleep and not hear you bitching."

"Ugh. Screw you Stark. Screw you." With a flourish of my hand, I opened a portal beside of me. I let my chair fall to the ground with a slight thud and stood, cracking my neck in the process. "See you later."

"Yup," Stark said as I stepped through the gate.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

"Oh?" Kisuke Urahara looked up from his rice bowl and toward the roof of his house.

"An espada," Youroichi stated.

"But only one espada," he corrected. "Why would Aizen send only one espada?"

"And why would the espada come alone?" She wondered. "You should go and check it out." With a grin, he waved her off.

"Neh, neh! We'll let Ichigo deal with it." Youroichi grinned slightly and began to eat again, knowing that he would eventually come to check out the odd event.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

"So much spirit energy...but...none that's different. Most of them are the same. Dammit, couldn't Stark have given me more information?"

My eyes widened and I jumped out of the way, only to see a blue ray of light skim the side of my cloak. I turned to see one of Aizen's top nemesis at a building next to me. I glared at him.

"I don't have time for you, boy!" I yelled.

"El Directo!" he fired off another attack, but this time I was ready, and I moved out of the way, appearing next to the kid.

"I said, I don't have time to deal with you." His eyes widened as he realized where I was. However, I didn't draw my sword, though I kept my hand on the sheath. "Actually, I have a question for you, boy." I stepped away, giving him a bit of distance. In reaction, he slightly lowered his arm.

"What do you want, espada?" I cringed at the name, but allowed it to slide by.

"I heard a rumor of another fighting force. Shinigami with hollows inside of them. I want to know where they are."

"I wouldn't move, if I were you." I turned to see a newcomer in white robes, with a blue arrow pointed at me. Must be the Quincy.

"Oh for the love of god. I don't want to fucking fight with any of you."

"Too bad." Now, I felt a huge spirital pressure, and I knew exactly who it was.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." He landed and drew his sword and pointed at me, and I watched as his spirit ribbons unfurled.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Finally," I drawled. "Someone with decent manners." I saw that my sarcasm was lost on everyone around me, and I rolled my eyes.

"Look, it's too early to fight, and I don't even want to fight. I only want information."

"Why should we give information to an espada?" The Quincy shot back.

"I'm not a fucking espada." That subject was still a little touchy, as Stark knew quite well. "Call me that again, and we'll have a real fight on your hands."

"Aren't you an espada?"

"For god's sake, didn't I just say that? Seriously. Now. Where can i find these shinigami people? That's all I want."

"You're looking at a shinigami," the Quincy pointed out. I felt my temper flare and I growled in response.

"I'm not a dunce," I ground out. "I'm not looking for him. For the last time, where...are...the...shinigami...people?"

"She's looking for the vizards," the boy in the hawaiian shirt replied. His arm lowered further, and I began to relax. Finally, someone could help me.

"The vizards?" Ichigo asked, surprised. "Why do you want the vizards?"

"None of your damn business. Just tell me where to find them." I knew by this point, asking for their location was pretty much useless, so I simply rolled my eyes. "You know what? Never mind. I don't care anymore. Just run along, and I'll find these...vizards...myself."

"You're not going anywhere," the Quincy stated, firing an arrow at my face. Frustrated, I drew my zanpakto and sliced through the attack. As I stared the Quincy down, I felt a portal open behind me. I turned to see my most hated espada staring at me.

"Arana, Aizen wants to see you." The grin on Nnoitra's face was so close to a smirk that I felt the first stirrings of my zanpakto inside of me. I was pissed and I just wanted this errand over with.

"What does he want?" I asked, my grip tightening on my sword.

"It seems you've been a naughty girl," he taunted. "He's heard of your foolish plan." Though I was shocked that he learned of it this soon, it didn't surprise me all that much. Aizen always knew everything.

"Then he knows I'm not going to him like a lost little puppy."

"I thought you would say that," Nnoitra stated, his grin widening. "That's why I've been advised to use force."

"Ohhh," I drawled out. "You're barking up the wrong tree. I'm not in the mood to play your little games tonight, you damn psycho." Everyone around me was watching the scene curiously, and I could feel the Quincy's indecision of who to shoot first. It was amusing, but I was tired of this farce, and I just wanted to lie down somewhere.

"Pray, Santa Teresa." Spiritual pressure exploded around me, and I watched remotely as Nnoitra released his zanpakto. His sword morphed into another cresent section, now making two connecting cresents.

"You guys better back up," I warned. "This is going to get a little messy." Nnoitra lunged, and I moved toward him with my own zanpakto. I caught his blade in between his cresents, which brought me close to his face.

"Do you really want to die, Nnoitra?" I growled out.

"You're a woman," he stated. "There's no way you could beat me." We broke apart, then came together once again.

"Just because I've never wanted to before now." I kicked him in his stomach, sending him sliding back a few feet. I cracked my neck side to side, and pointed my zanpakto at him.

"Instead of fighting me, why don't you run along and tell your master that I'm not interested? He'll be irritated if you don't tell him right away," I taunted. My insult hit, and Nnoitra's eyes darkened.

"You bitch!" With a feral cry, he leapt at me, and I jumped to block. We exchanged fierce blows, and as my sword collided with his, I felt the power building within me, and I knew it was time for me to end this before I destroyed everything around me.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" I more or less stated as I pointed my sword in the air. "Explode, Amber Flame." A stream of fire burst up from my sword and into the clouds, with only a dramatic flair my zanpakto could provide. "Come out, my little imps!" I traced my sword in a circle in front of me, creating a circle of fire. Little creatures jumped out of the new portal I had created, and began to jump for Nnoitra.

He sliced through the first imp, but his eyes widened as he realized his attack hadn't even slowed the imp's attack. The imp landed on his clothes, burning them. The next imp jumped, and Nnoitra finally jumped back. I didn't stop the imps; I let them attack the espada at will.

"You'll regret this day," Nnoitra snarled, making a portal to Hueco Mundo.

"I regret having to actually waste my time on you," I retorted. He stiffened, as if he was going to attack, but saw the imps making a beeline for him. Instead, he tucked tail and entered the portal. I swiped my sword, releasing the imps, and they dissapeared into embers, which fell to the ground much like snow.

"So was it staged for our benefit?"

I turned to see the Quincy behind me, this time, on the same building. At least he wasn't pointing his arrow at me anymore.

"That's too much work," I stated simply, sheathing my sword. "Will you tell me where these vizards are, Quincy?"

"Depends on what you want them for." I growled at the full turn around the conversation had taken, and finally decided to answer them.

"I want to become a vizard." My answer took the Quincy by surprise, and his two other companions landed beside of him, both equally taken aback.

"Why?" Kurosaki asked.

"Because I hate Aizen, and I hate his espada...well...most of his espada. I want to change sides. Believe me or not, but it's up to the vizards to change me or not."

"Come with us," the Quincy stated. Finally. some damn progress. I did as he told, and we jumped from building to building.

"So what's your name, boy?" I asked. I merely knew that this kid with the hollow powers was an enemy, but Aizen never told us his name.

"Chad."

"And you, Quincy?" I could sense a retort, but he actually swallowed it and answered.

"Uryuu."

"Then what's your name?" Chad asked me.

"Arana Jaggerjaquez." With my last name revealed, I felt a new wave of distrust wash over the group, but I didn't care. They were just a means to make me normal again. "My brother speaks highly of you," I told Ichigo.

"What?"

"He does. He wants to kill you. That's a compliment, you know." I could sense his exasperation, and I briefly smiled. It was true. My brother did have this avid fascination with Ichigo, and I could sense why. Even with his spiritual pressure repressed, I could sense his potential.

"Why do you want to switch sides?" the orange haired kid asked.

"Because Aizen's a fuckoff," I replied nastily, still sore about the order from this morning.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

"Arana," Aizen greeted. I didn't asnwer him, and merely glared at the man on his farce of a throne. "I hear you claim to not be an espada anymore."

"So what if i do?"

"I require your loyalty," he stated simply, watching me with kind eyes. Oh, I knew him by now. Underneath the soft, sugary layer, there was a cunning, evil man. "And it simply hurts to realize that you do not appreciate all that I have given you."

"And what have you given me?" I asked sarcastically.

"I've given you life, Arana. For you and...your brother." I tensed slightly. Now, this conversation involved Grimmjow. It wasn't just personal anymore. "To show your loyalty, I require the head of a shinigami. A...Byakuya Kuchiki." My eyes widened.

"But...why?"

"Does it matter, Arana? I've given you an order."

"How the hell do you expect me to carry that out?" This meant that I would have to travel to the Seretei, with full fledged shinigami swarming around a captain class target. My realization was swift: he wanted me dead.

"I'm sure you'll figure out something," he said smoothly before motioning me out. I wanted to rebel, to say 'fuck you' and fork him the bird as I walked out, but instead, I simply turned and stalked out. I couldn't do anything without hurting Grimmjow, and my pride wasn't worth that.

But I would find a way to kill Aizen. I knew it.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

"So! This is the espada I felt!" I simply stared at the man in front of me. He was so...odd. He had a green and white bucket hat that covered his pale blond hair, and was dressed in green with a green cloak. He also held a fan in front of his face, fanning himself, though it wasn't the least bit hot inside.

"I have no idea who you are," I stated, looking at him curiously.

"Ah, I'm sorry! My name is Kisuke Urahara. And this," he continued, gesturing to the dark haired woman beside of him, "Is Youroichi."

"You're pretty forthcoming to an arrancar," I pointed out. In reaction, he waved the fan at me, with a goofy grin on his face.

"Neh, neh, Arana! You're on our side now, are you not?" My eye twitched in reaction.

"Why ELSE would I be here," I pointed out.

"Then it's all right!" His happy demeanor combined with the awkward logic made me hang my head.

"Whatever, Kisuke."

"So you want to become a vizard?"

"For the last time, yes. I dont' want to be an arrancar. I'm tired of going over this."

"Then you're in luck." My head snapped back up and I looked to see the brim of Urahara's hat shade his now cunning eyes.

"Are you a vizard?" I asked, excited for a change.

"Nope." I growled at his answer and he smiled in return. "But I can still help you." I looked up him and down.

"I highly doubt it," I mumbled. Instead of taking the insult like Nnoitra would do, Urahara just let it slide by.

"You'll have to wait for a day," he warned. "So, now Ichigo can take you to the soul society!"

"What!" Ichigo and I chorused. That was the last damn place I wanted to go, and the shinigami would still probably kill me on sight.

"Oh, fine, I'll get it done tonight. Then you can take her tomorrow." Ichigo began to sputter, and I began to find humor in this bizzare situation.

"That wasn't the point!" he yelled at him.

"Ichigo!" Youroichi yelled. "You're too loud!"

"Didn't you just hear what he just said?"

"Course I did," she replied with a smirk. "And I think it's a great idea."

"Not you too!" Ichigo yelled. I snickered.

"I think Chad and Uryuu should take me too. That way, they can both hold my hands as I cross the street, and one could lead. I'd be perfectly safe." I saw Uryuu cut his eyes toward me, and I began to chuckle.

"This isn't funny! They could kill us both." At Ichigo's statement, my eyes darkened and narrowed on the orange haired shinigami.

"As if they could."

"Don't be so dour, Arana!" Kisuke admonished. "Now, if you could come with me?" I did as he bade, and followed him into the back of his shop.

"So what are we doing back here?" I asked nonchalantly, looking at all the storage boxes around us. "You hiding a vizard in a box?" Kisuke turned, and in his hand, he held a familar looking stone.

"That's-"

"Yes. It's the Hōgyoku."

"But that creates arrancar, not Vizards!"

"You know what the difference between an arrancar and a vizard is?" He asked seriously as he sat down onto the floor crosslegged.

"One is a hollow and the other is a shinigami?"

"An arrancar begins the transformation as a hollow, and the vizards were created as shinigami."

"Then how can I be a vizard? I started as a hollow."

"That's where the Hōgyoku comes into play." I sat and looked at the orb curiously. "It binds a shinigami and a hollow together. However, the true difference between the two is that one presence is stronger than another. For you, your hollow side is stronger than your shinigami."

"So it powers up my other form?"

"The Hōgyoku was originally used to fuse, not provide a balance between the two. This is quite dangerous, and you may die from this process. Are you prepared?"

"Yes." As I watched, the orb in Urahara's hands began to glow, and I knew it had begun.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

"Are we there yet?" I asked again, knowing it was annoying Ichigo to his wit's end.

"For the last time, no!" I laughed at his discomfort, and he tried to glare at me. As he looked at me, his gaze softened, and I felt kinda bad for teasing him as much as I had been.

"You sure you're all right?"

"Just a little woozy, that's all." That was the understatement of the year. I had simply watch as the battle for my soul was waged, and with each cut that one of the combatants took, it was transfered to me. So I felt all of their pain, and got all of their injuries. Fortunately for me, my shinigami side won, therefore shoving my hollow side back down into the depths of my soul.

"I remember when I had to fight my hollow self. I almost lost."

"So did I," I stated simply. "So did I." Finally, we got to the door entering the shinigami realm, and we were let inside. "This is going to suck," I predicted, watching everyone around me with a cautious eye. The hair around the left side of my face hid the left side completely, so I could only see through my right eye.

The remnants of my hollow mask were completely gone, though not without leaving their mark first. The whole left side of my face was red and swollen, and I wasn't going to ask any more of Kuchiki Rukia. She had saved my life that night by healing the injuries as they occured, and I knew I was in her debt forever.

"Rukia should have been here," Ichigo mused.

"She can't because she's been thrown into the dungeon and tortured." He glared at me and I quieted, though breaking ranks and running back to earth seemed like a good plan now.

"There she is." Sure enough, the shinigami was walking toward us, along with someone I didn't expect to see.

"God dammit, irony," I muttered as Kuchiki Byakuya stopped in front of us. By the small glance he flicked my way, I would have wagered that he heard my little comment.

"Why are you bringing this...espada...here?" By the disdain dripping off of the word, I figured he wasn't too happy about my presence. Knowing I could make things worse with my temper, I shut my mouth and looked away, a slight blush on my cheeks.

"She's not an espada anymore," Ichigo tried to explain. "She's a shinigami-"

"She's an espada. She's killed shinigami and innocent humans." Actually, in that aspect, he was wrong. I never killed innocent humans. It was always the ones that preyed on the innocent, and I would bring their souls to Aizen or to Hueco Mundo.

"So? She's changed." I saw him look at my clothing, and I could literally feel the disapproval. Sure, I was still in my clothes from Hueco Mundo, but seriously. I had nothing else. So sheesh.

"How do you know that?"

"She went through a...er..." He looked at me and I shrugged. Should we call it an experiement? A transformation?"

"I'm a vizard now," I finally spoke up, relieving Ichigo from Byakuya.

"Why is your hair covering your face?" Byakuya questioned. "Hiding a hollow mask underneath?" He was certainly quick to judge.

"It's where my mask used to be," I replied, stepping back defensively

"I told you, brother. I had to heal her through the experiment. She truly is a vizard now." Even Rukia's words seemed to have no sway over her brother, and I rolled my eyes.

"Look. If I could cleanse the hollow inside of me, I would. So quit throwing out all of this accusations. Jesus."

"Show me your face." I drew back.

"No!" I cried out. Even though I was a powerful spirit, I still had the spirit of a woman, and I didn't want anyone to see my less than stellar face. "I'll show you in a few days."

"Acutally," Rukia broke in. "Unohana could heal you."

"Who?" I asked. Aizen had never briefed us on names, though...that could be because I never went to any of the stupid espada meetings.

"She's our fourth division captain." I nodded in understanding and began to walk towards Rukia. All of a sudden, Byakuya appeared in front of me, and swished the hair from the left side of my face, revealing the extent of the damage. I jumped backwards, holding my hair down, and glared.

"Quit it, you bastard!"

"So you were telling the truth," he mused.

"Are you this nice to everyone you meet?" I asked sarcastically.

"Would you trust your enemy on the first meeting?" I looked away at that. He had a valid point, but I didn't want to admit it. "I will show you to Unohana. Rukia, meet me at the house." With that, he began to walk off, and I looked at Rukia. She gestured to go, and I ran toward Byakuya. I stood slightly behind him, letting him lead.

"Are there any vizards here?" I asked him. I didn't expect an answer, but I was quite surprised.

"No. There are only a few."

"Oh," I simply replied.

"Who is the one that changed you?" I shrugged, not knowing if I should reveal the name or not.

"Your loyalty means nothing in this case. Who turned you?"

"Does it really matter?" I snapped back, irritated at his high handed tone. "I'm a vizard now. Not an espada. I'm on your side."

"That has yet to be seen," he retorted. As irritated as I was, I felt like laughing. He did know how to give as good as he got, though he was a bit cold on the fringes.

"Stop." I did ask he asked and looked at him. "Lift up your hair."

"How about no, you bastard?" He looked down at me, his gaze much more potent than a verbal admonision. "Fine." I lifted the first part of it to show a sliver of the red skin underneath. He lifted his hand and touched the side of my nose lightly. He checked the thumb and frowned. Again, the thumb came toward my nose, but this time, he scratched the swollen skin, and I whirled away, tears in my eyes.

"So it's not makeup. I'm starting to believe you." I tried to hold the tears in check, but the pain was too close to my eyes and the skin was just too raw.

"I'm starting to believe you're a bonified bastard," I retorted, squeezing my eyes with one hand. The salt from the tears stung as it touched the lower eyelid, causing me to cry more. I could just feel the viscious cycle coming on, and I growled. Why did he have to escort me?

"Fine. Come with me, espada."

"I'm not an espada!" I ground out. "Get that through your head. I. Am. A. Vi-zard. Not an espada." The tears and salt were getting worse, and the whole side of my face was beginning to burn in protest. "You know what? Fuck you." I jumped away from him, flash stepping onto another building. Giving little heed to whether Byakuya was chasing me or not, I raced toward Ichigo's reiatsu.

I landed outside of a huge mansion, and to my immediate relief, a pond was right in front of the deck. I made my way over and began to scoop up water and splash my face.

"Oh my god, it burnssss," I whined. "Why did I have to listen to Stark?" I splashed more water on my face and was rewarded with a cooling sensation spreading across the burned flesh. "Oh, there's some vizard out there! Go out there and all your dreams will come true!" I mocked in a horrible imitation of Stark's voice. "Little bastard," I muttered, cupping water to my face. The whole left side of my hair was wet, and was clinging to the edges.

As I held up another handful of water, I felt another presence beside of me just as a sword touched my neck in a threatening gesture.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya asked, impassive once again.

"Cooling my face and wiping off blood that SOMEONE might have caused. So get lost." The sword rose up and began to turn my face toward Byakuya. I could feel a rivulet of blood trickling down the side of my nose where he had scratched me, but the tears had stopped, causing the burning to also decrease.

"I apologize." I stopped and thought. Did I just hear him right? "I'll take you to Unohana."

"How about no?" I retorted. "Just let Ichigo take me. He's right inside. I can feel him, and I'll bet if I yell-"

"That won't be necessary. I'll take you."

"Are you going to touch my face again?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I won't." To my ultimate surprise, he held out a gloved hand. I took it and he pulled me to my feet, then let go. "We will use shunpo to get there quickly." As soon as he said it, he leapt away.

"And he didn't even ask if it was all right with me," I muttered, before following him.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

That night, I found myself on Byakuya's roof, looking at the stars in the sky, my white coat acting as a blanket beneath me. Hueco Mundo had a certain charm to it, but it was nothing like the Seretei. It was beautiful and peaceful here, not like the rugged scene I was used to. Plus, I could never had time to myself like this. I was usually with Stark, which I didn't mind, but Nnoitra always went out of his way to annoy me.

"What are you doing on my house?" My breath caught. I didn't even sense him near me.

"Byakuya!" I said sharply. "You scared me."

"You should never let your guard down," he replied. Only this time, it didn't seem like an admonishment. It just seemed normal, not even sounding like advice, more like a reaction than anything else.

"Yeah, well, it's three in the morning. What do you expect?" He didn't answer, though I didn't expect him too. "I'm here because of the stars. We never had a view like this in Hueco Mundo."

"Then what did you do?"

"I went to earth when I was bored. Punished some people, and collected souls for Aizen."

"So you did kill humans," he stated.

"Only the ones that deserved it." With that, I knew my alone time was shattered, and I sat up and stretched. Suddenly, I felt a huge spike in spiritual pressure, and I immediately drew my sword to assess the threat.

"What happened to your back?" Byakuya asked, his voice quite calm. Yet I could feel the tension and anger in the air around me. I had forgotten of my injury if only for a few seconds, and I was ashamed that he had seen my deformity.

"It was a long time ago," I replied. "Somethings are better left alone."

"Those looks like whip marks," he continued, as if he didn't hear me.

"That's because they are whip marks," I replied angrily. "And if you can't accept them," I continued, snatching my coat from the roof, "Then that's your damn problem." I turned to leave, but Byakuya appeared in front of me.

"Unohana can heal you. We will go in the morning."

"Look. Just because it looks bad doesn't mean I should get it fixed. Just forget about it. I usually keep my coat on anyways, so you'll never see my back again." I stepped to the side and he lifted his arm to block me.

"Why do you not want to get it fixed?"

"B...because it's my espada number. Aizen had it taken off when I fucked up. I'll take the whip marks over the number on my back, thank you very much." My cheeks were burning with shame by this point, although I didn't have the foggiest idea why I should feel ashamed.

"We'll get it taken off tomorrow."

"Didn't I just say-"

"Both of them." I looked up into his eyes, and for once, saw warmth and caring.

"You mean it?" I asked, daring to hope. I didn't want the marks, nor did I want the number. I was no longer Aizen's lackey, and I didn't want the proof on my back. With two of his fingers, he brushed a strand of hair from the left side of my face, quieting me.

"You should be healed by tomorrow night," he said, letting the hair fall back into my face. "I will take you to Unohana tomorrow." With the slight touch of his fingers against my face, I felt the first stirrings of friendship as well as something else, and felt his touch all the way to my heart. I opened my mouth to say something, but when nothing was forthcoming, I shut it again.

"I'll...see you tomorrow?" I asked hesitantly. He nodded and dissapeared, leaving me alone on the roof once again. As I bent to pick up my coat, a single sakura petal dropped from it, and fell to the roof. I picked it up and realized who had sent the gift. Because I knew the nature of his sword, I realized the meaning of the gift. I had won his trust, and in return, he was extending his protection to me.

"As if I need your protection," I muttered, feeling the softness of the petal between my thumb and finger. "I think I need something else from you," I whispered to the wind around me. "I want your heart. And you should know, I'm very tenacious when I want something."

With my pledge made, I jumped from the roof and pocketed Byakuya's gift. Tomorrow would undoubtedly bring trials and tribulations, but underneath it all, my plan would unfold, and soon, I would win his heart.


	2. Cloud Strife from FF7

_**It's Going to Take A Superman to Sweep Me Off My Feet**_

Name: Rikka

Age: 20

Info: Knew Cloud since she used to be in soldier. She's stubborn and rebellious, but nice and carefree until you get on her bad side.

* * *

As customary, I found myself in Aeris's church, giving thanks to the woman who had saved our world. The last of her kind, she had freely given her life to save the lives of everyone she hadnt even met. I wasn't there, but I had heard from Cloud and the rest of the gang on what had happened.

Of course, I had been here for the showdown and had seen the planet protect itself, but I was needed in Midgard. I trusted Cloud to finish the task set before him, and somehow knew he would. But now, I could protect the new town from bandits and delinquints until a real security force could be established.

However, I was helping to build Edge, a town on the outskirts of the now destroyed Midgar. My father, the only surviving member of my family, was head of the construction project, and of course, I couldn't stand by and do nothing. But, I did have a surprise for Cloud and the others when they came back home.

"It's done! I saw it!" I turned from the flowers on the ground and saw Marlene, Barrett's adopted daughter, dashing toward me. She tackled me and hugged me fiercly, her eyes shining bright. "That means everyone's coming home, right?" I smiled as I hugged her back.

"Yes. They're all coming home." For a few moments, I allowed the peace of the moment to intrude, but finally, I pulled away and stood, holding Marlene's hand. "Now, if I remember correctly, I promised someone a makeover for their room." Marlene nodded, hopeful. "And the movers should be moving the furniture today, so we'll have to go and make them do it to our satisfaction."

Before I could even blink, Marlene was dragging me out of the church and toward my motorcycle. She got on, used to riding with me, and I got on behind her. I put a small helmet on her and revved my engine, loving the sound and feel. Then, I took off for the new town.

**************

"I want my bed here! By the window!" I barely held my laughter in check at the movers faces. Each varied in reaction to a child dictating their actions, but most were comical. However, they looked toward me and I nodded slightly, giving them permission to listen to Marlene. She was simply bubbling with excitement today, and it was starting to rub off on me. I admit, I did find happiness making this child happy, even if she wasn't my own.

"What do you think, Rikka?" Marlene asked me, now looking at the new furniture arrangement.

"I think it looks beautiful," I said with a smile, and felt a warmth in my heart when Marlene smiled at me. She had been so sad when Barret and the gang left, but I couldn't stand it. I took her in with me and let her live with me. I'll admit, the decision wasn't particularly selfless. I missed everyone as well, and had no desire to be alone.

"Does that mean I can paint my room by myself?" I grinned at the obvious implications.

"Sure. It's your room, after all."

"Then let's go and get some paint!"

_Knock knock_

I turned to the door and watched as it opened, revealing a man I hadnt seen before.

"Rikka? Your father wants to see you." I smiled ruefully, but nodded.

"All right, I'll be out in a second." The man nodded once, and left Marlene and I alone in her room.

"Can I come with you?" Marlene asked, tugging on my pants.

"What about painting your room?" I asked, cautious of the sudden change of heart.

"It's no fun if I'm the only one painting. Please can I come with you?" Because I had no defenses when it came to Marlene, I smiled and ruffled her hair.

"All right. We'll go together." I turned to walk out, but instead, I dropped to a knee and held out my hands behind my back. "Piggyback ride?" I smiled as I watched her leap at my back, and caught her. She snuggled into my back and laid her head down on my shoulder, leaving me content. How was I ever going to cope when Barret came back?

"What do you think your dad wants?" Marlene asked as I made my way downstairs.

"Dunno," I answered, opening the front door. Instead of seeing only my bike, I saw my father outside of my house, a broad smile on his face. The man who had summoned us was beside my father, a simliar smile on his face.

"I heard you finished Tifa's Bar today," my father stated, the smile never leaving. I eyed him carefully and Marlene even popped up to peer over my shoulder. "May I come and see?"

"It's right down the road. And why would you ask me? You know you can stop by yourself."

"I wanted to share your accomplishment with my one and only daughter, that's all. Can't you grant an old man that simple pleasure?" Now wary, I sent a distrustful look his way.

"You're up to something," I stated, even as he turned and began to walk down the street. Marlene scrambled from the hold on my back and literally sat on my shoulders, holding my hair for balance.

"I am not wierd," he admonished. "Am I acting wierd, Ed?" Ed turned to my father and shook his head.

"No sir, I don't think so."

"Now i know you're both in on this little conspiracy," I muttered, glancing between the both of them. "What are you up to, Dad? You never smile this much."

"Are you saying that I'm a dour old man with no humor?"

"W..Wha...What?" I sputtered, surprised on how he came to that conclusion. "I didn't say anything of the sort, and you know it. What is with you today?"

"See? There it is!" Tearing my eyes away from my odd father, I saw Tifa's bar one building away, and smiled at my accomplishment. It wasn't the same as her old bar, but I was sure I had recreated it to the best of my ability. I had even carved a similar sign by hand and plastered it up, even though it wasn't even open yet.

"You like it?" I asked generally, wanting to hear my father's thoughts.

"It's perfect. The architecture looks sound, and it looks like the one that was destroyed. You did very well, Rikka." Even though he was acting odd, I still warmed from the compliment.

"Of course she did!" Marlene said, letting go of my hair. "She made the men do it right!" I smiled at Marlene's words, though I was sure she didn't know I had worked alongside the men.

"Want to go inside?" my father asked as we reached the steps to Tifa's Bar.

"What are you planning?" I asked, eyeing the door warily, waiting for something to come and pop out at me. "There's not some sort of party in there, is there? I don't want to clean up after it."

"When you see what's inside, you'll want to throw a party. Now go on. This old man's going to look at your house and be critical." I rolled my eyes at his slight dramaticism, but went to the door. I hesitated in opening it, but Marlene pushed on the door to open it.

"Come on! I want to see!" I smiled at her enthusiasm and lifted her off of my shoulders and to the ground. She stood on her tiptoes and opened the door, and as it swung open, my heart stopped.

"Barret!" Marlene cried, running forward and launching herslef at him. However, my eyes were glued on the person I thought I'd never see again.

"Cloud? Tifa?" Everyone turned toward me, and a few broad smiles slid onto their faces.

"Rikka! I'm glad you're okay!" Tifa said, coming from behind the bar and over toward me. Making my legs walk forward, I met her halfway and drew her into a hug.

"No, I'm glad you're okay," I whispered to her, hugging her tightly. She had been as close as a sister to me, and I truly was glad to see she was safe and sound.

"Rikka!" I was pulled away from Tifa and into the strong arms of Barret, who hugged me tightly. "Thanks for taking care of Marlene."

"I think it was the other way around," I joked, causing him to laugh.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?"

Finally, I drew out of Barret's hug, and turned to the man I had loved for nearly all of my life.

"Cloud," I said with a smile. Surprisingly, he walked to me and drew me into a hug like the others had, and I could feel tears threatening to spill from my eyes. "I'm so glad you're all okay," I said to everyone around the room. "I was so worried." Before I could make a complete fool of myself, I reluctantly pulled away from Cloud, and saw the new faces around the room.

"Hi," I said. "I'm Rikka."

"I'm Vincent," the man in the cape said quietly.

"My name's Yuffie. Pleased to meet you," the girl beside Vincent said brightly.

"And I'm Cid," the man said, a cigarette in his mouth.

"It's nice to meet you all," I genuially stated with a smile. "Any friends of Cloud and Tifa's is a friend of mine."

"Your father said you built this," Tifa stated, drawing me back from pleasentries. I turned to her, blushing and scratching the back of my head.

"Y...Yeah. I knew you'd be coming back. And it's kinda my way for saying thanks. I mean, if you hadn't of defeated Sephiroth, we'd all be dead. So it's something I could do for you." I looked around at the Spartan room, and blushed more in embarassment. "The furniture hasn't come in yet, and I haven't finished with the bar stools, but when it gets in, it'll look good-"

"It's perfect," Tifa interrupted, smiling at me. Barret, who had Marlene propped on a shoulder, was also smiling at me. I couldn't look at Cloud, who was at my side. I was too embarassed under this scrutiny.

"She's busy making the stools at her house. You should come and look at them," Marlene said, poking Barrent in his temple. Again, my blush deepened, and Barret began to laugh at my embarassment.

"Marlene," I drawled. "They don't need to know that."

"Oh! And she's also doing your beds. They were in my room, but she's almost finished, so she moved them into the living room. I bought the beds for you, though! She let me go into town and buy what we needed for the bar." I placed my face into my hands, and groaned at what Marlene revealed.

This time, it was Tifa who laughed.

"You don't need to be embarassed," Tifa stated.

"It's not done yet. I was supposed to finish up today, but I got distracted by someone."

"You promised that I could finish painting my room today. If you kept track of time, then we could have finished." I choked on my laughter, and knew what expression Marlene wore.

"You said you wanted to come to work with me today," I told her, bringing my hands back to my sides and looking the imp in the eyes.

"So? If you hadn't of gone to-"

"Marlene," I stated simply, stopping the girl in her tracks. She closed her mouth and kept my destination a secret, fortunately for me. "I'm sorry for the lack of furniture, though. Marlene was right. I'm almost finished with the beds and the stools, and I should have them done by tonight if I do a full day's work. Speaking of which, I should get back to it." Turning to the three new faces, I smiled. "It was nice to meet you all." Then I turned to the three faces I knew, and waved. "I'll see you later tonight with the movers." Turning tail as gracefully as I could, I walked out from Tifa's bar, and back to my work.

***************

I knelt over the last stool, staining the wood to make it appear darker. I brushed out the liquid as if I was painting a picture, and smiled when a horrible impression of Cloud's face stared back at me. With one stroke, I wiped it away and smoothed out the film of liquid, and sighed at my accomplishment.

"Done with these. Now I have to stain the bed and make sure the movers come in with everything." I rolled my shoulders and slanted my head from side to side, working out the crinks in my neck. "Man, this is harder than I remember." I laughed at my own predicament, then stood, the brush still in my hand.

"You could have bought it, you know." I yelped and whirled, only to see Cloud and Tifa watching me.

"The craftmanship isn't all that great around here," I joked.

"What happened to all of the stores around here?" Tifa asked. I scratched the back of my head and looked away.

"Well, most were destroyed that day. Many of the owners either were killed, or were poisoned and are close to dying."

"Poisoned?" Cloud asked, finally speaking up.

"Yeah," I said, downcast. "There's this sickness that's been popping up since the meteor. It doesn't have a name yet, but there's been a few deaths, and no cure is even close to being developed. If you contract it, you're going to die."

"Is it contagious?" Tifa asked, shutting the door behind her and Cloud.

"No one knows," I said, finally moving from my spot and kneeling by the bed. I dipped my paintbrush into the brown liquid and began to paint. "Many people on the street are victims with the sickness. No one wants them in their homes in fear that they'll cause the other family members to get sick. It's been rough around here."

Tifa came and sat beside of me, a spare brush in her hand. She too dipped her brush and began to paint along with me.

"So no one knows what caused it?" She asked.

"No. Some say it's the meteor, some say it was the lifestream. Others say it's the combination between the bright light and the meteor." I shrugged. "Thankfully my dad and I are immune somehow."

"And Marlene?" Tifa asked.

"Completely fine. I keep her indoors as much as possible. Or, kept, I should say."

"Barret also says to thank you for taking care of her. He was worried about her."

"She was worried about him," I said with a smile. "She never let a day go by without mentioning him." It was quiet for a few moments, then Cloud spoke up.

"I saw damage at the edges of the town when we came in. Is there trouble around here?"

"Some, not much. Usually some vagrants or delinquints causing a scene."

"Who runs the police force?" he asked again, probing the safety of the town.

"No one. There's no force here yet. Everyone's focusing on rebuilding and getting shelter over their heads." I heard a motor outside, and sighed as I heard it stop outside of my house. I put the paintbrush in the cup of water beside of the wood stainer, and stood, dusting my hands. "Be back," I told the two, sensing something was wrong. I walked into the other room and grabbed both of my twin swords from behind the couch.

"Where is Rikka?" the voice asked from the other room. I smiled at the hesitation, then heard the eventual, "Cloud! You're Cloud Strife! I heard you defeated Sephiroth!" Knowing that Cloud usually was uncomfortable in these situations, I entered the room and fastened my sword belt around my waist. "Rikka!" I smiled at Lloyd.

"Lloyd. What's the problem?"

"Domestic violence. A man came back from Shinra to find his wife remarried. It's bad."

"I'm going, I'm going. Lloyd, just go ahead and get a doctor."

"A woman doctor?"

"I don't care," I said, walking past him to the door. "Whoever'll treat a wifebeater, I guess."

"But he's not the hurt one!" Lloyd called as I yanked open the door. I turned back to him, a sadistic grin on my face.

"Oh, but he will be." I shut the door on my omnious words and walked over to my bike. The door opened, and I opened my mouth to berate Lloyd for following, but shut it as I saw Cloud coming toward me.

"You're not going without me," he said as I climbed onto the bike.

"I won't kill him, mom," I said, rolling my eyes. He walked over to me and climbed on behind me. My face immediately heated.

"What if you need backup?" he asked. The blush dissapeared and I revved the engine.

"I was in SOLDIER with you. My ass I need backup," I muttered, backing out into the street. Finally, Lloyd came from the house and pointed down the road.

"Past Tifa's bar. It's the one your father did as a comission." I flipped a thumbs up to Lloyd, then pulled my legs up and shot away from my home. It was a quiet ride there, and I could feel Cloud's hands around my waist as if it was skin to skin. Ruffled, I concentrated on the ride, and was rewarded when we arrived a few moments later. A huge muscled man stood over a thin one, his expression full of hatred.

"Hey!" I cried, alerting the two to my presence. I got off the bike, ignoring Cloud, and walked over to the big man. "Are you the one causing trouble around here?"

"He stole my wife! He's the one causing trouble," the man retorted, pointing angrily to the bruised man on the ground.

"He's the one with the bruises, buddy." I looked behind him, and saw a weeping woman on the house steps, answering bruises on her face and arms. "And so is your wife," I growled out, my eyes darkening in anger.

"So what's a scrawny bitch like you going to do about it?" he asked, taunting me. Instead of giving him fair warning, I crouched and spun my leg, taking the big guy's legs out from under him.

"Cloud! Get the guy on the ground!" As soon as I finished my statement, I saw Cloud pick up the beaten man and walk over to the woman. The big man on the ground roared and got to his feet, pure hatred in his eyes.

"I'll teach you your place," he said, throwing a punch at me. I easily sidestepped and tripped him as he went by, sending him sprawling. I grinned at the picture and saw Cloud coming to help. I held up an arm.

"Stop. I want this fight." As the man stood, I saw him reach to the sword at his side. "Draw it," I goaded.

"Rikka-"

"Cloud!" I turned around and smiled softly at the worried look in his eyes. "I've got this."

"Dont' turn your back on me!" I turned back to the battle and drew a sword, blocking the blow from above.

"Hit me if you can," I whispered. The man thrust at my midsection and I brushed his sword away, kicking him in the chest a mere second after the parry. The man stumbled backwards, but caught his balance just in time. He reached into his shirt and held something.

"Thunder." My eyes widened and I leapt from my spot just in time, and I could feel the static electricity from the thunder bolt.

"You have materia?" I asked in wonder.

"He stole it from my husband!" the woman cried.

"So I can add stealing to your list of crimes," I said pleasantly. "That's good to know." Finally, realizing this battle could turn out to be dangerous, I drew my other sword. "With this attack, I'll take you down," I told him, spinning my swords for emphasis.

He roared in anger and leapt for me, his other hand still on the materia. I leapt forward, my swords poised for attack, and was mere inches away as he uttered the word again.

"Thunder."

The air around us crackled with energy and I lifted a sword to gather the electricity even as my other sword crashed with the man's sword. I felt the energy flow through me and I heard the man yell in agony as he took the full brunt of the attack. Smoking, he fell to his knees as I landed in front of him, and for good measure, I roundhouse kicked him to the ground.

Realizing he was unconscious I walked over to him, a smirk on my face, and lifted the necklace over his head. The green materia glinted in the sun, and I eyed it carefully. Ithad been a while since I had held materia, and I missed having them.

"Thank you." I turned to see the bruised woman close to me, her eyes full of tears. "I didn't know if you would come in time, but thank you." I smiled tenderly and walked over to her, looking at the various bruises on her face.

"Are you all right?"

"No, but I will be. For helping us, we want to give you the materia." My eyes widened. Materia? For me? "You'll be able to help more people that way."

"Thank you," I whispered, putting the necklace around my neck. "A doctor should be here soon," I began, but the woman shook her head.

"Your boyfriend is helping us." My face pinkened, but I looked over to Cloud. Sure enough, he held a green materia in one hand and was holding it over the man's prone form. The bruises from his face were nearly gone with only a few minutes of help, and I realized that Cloud was even more powerful than I had assumed he was.

"He's not my boyfriend," I refuted.

"Yet," the woman said with a smile before walking over to Cloud. In turn, he stopped healing the man, and moved the green glow over to the woman. I sheathed my swords and watched Cloud carefully, seeing the concern and care in his eyes over simple strangers.

"My god I love him," I whispered to no one and everyone, and walked over to join the three on the porch. The crowd around us dispered, each going back to their original business, leaving us in relative privacy.

"Will they be all right?" I asked, sitting beside the woman.

"Yes," Cloud said simply, and I smiled.

"I'm glad." I tucked the materia into my shirt and it nestled between my breasts, effectively hiding the orb from view. "Thanks for the materia," I told the woman.

"My husband couldn't use it," she explained. "But I'm sure you can." I swung my feet and leaned back, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, I can. It's been a long long while, though." Finishing his minstrations, Cloud stood and placed the materia back into the hilt of his blade.

"The doctor will be here soon to make sure everything's all right," I told the woman, standing and leaping off the porch. "If you need me, you know where to find me." I walked over to my bike and got on, turning the bike on. I felt Cloud get on behind me, and I smiled when he placed his hands over my hips again.

"Thanks again! You and your boyfriend sure are something!" the man called out, and again, I blushed.

"He isn't my boyfriend!" I called back.

"Then you wouldn't have any qualms if we bring our son over to your house?" I hung my head. How did this conversation get so outrageous?

"Do whatever," I called back. I gunned the engine and shot down the road, silencing anything else they could harass me with. A few minutes later, we stopped at Tifa's Bar, and Cloud got off the bike.

"Are you coming inside?" he asked.

"Nah. I'm going riding for a bit. I'll see you later." With that, I left Cloud in the dust, and exited the city mere minutes later. I floored the engine, the speed causing the adrenaline to flow through me. Finally, I skidded to a halt and looked around. Seeing no one, I walked over to a flower patch in front of me and began to pick the wild roses.

Twelve flowers later, I tucked them into the bag on the side of my bike, and took off towards Midgar. When I arrived at Aeris's church, I looked around again, and seeing no one, I walked inside. The moon was now rising in the sky, the silver light giving an ethreal glow to the whole church. I walked past the pews and knelt at the edge of the flower bed.

"Here, Aeris. I know you loved the roses, so I brought you some. I'll make sure to come back tomorrow with some more." I stood, and turned to leave, but I turned back. "You know, Cloud's back. He'll be here to see you soon. I'm sure you'll love that." Now, I turned to walk away, and ran straight into the man I'd dropped off.

"Cloud!" I cried out, surprised. "What are you doing here? Im sorry, stupid question. I'll leave you alone, now." I walked past him, but he caught my arm.

"Have you been to see her?" he asked quietly, looking straight at the flower patch in front of him.

"Every day I try. I bring her flowers every week or so too."

"Thanks. She would love that." I smiled softly.

"I know she does," I whispered. "Cloud? I'm glad you're okay." With that admission, I stepped forward, but the hand on my arm held tight.

"Thank you for rebuilding Tifa's Bar. She really appreciates it." Silence. "You bought everything inside, didn't you?"

"What if I did?" I asked. "It's my gift to you both. I couldn't come and fight with you without leaving the city unprotected." I felt the familiar regret and looked down at the ground.

"You did what you had to do," Cloud replied. "One of us had to stay and watch over everything."

"I should have been there to help," I whispered. "I should have fought to take down Sephiroth."

"No. It was too dangerous."

"If you could go, then I could too. I was in SOLDIER. I could have helped."

"I didn't want you to get hurt." My eyes widened.

"I never wanted you hurt either," I admitted. "I never wanted you to leave." Knowing how that sounded, I hastily corrected myself. "I mean, everyone needed you here, and I know that you could have helped out."

Stupid! I almost admitted it!

"No. It was my place to kill him." I sighed.

"Maybe, but all of us missed you. Dad missed you the most," I joked. "Who else gave him free manual labor?"

_**I had missed him the most.**_

"And all of us were worried too."

_**I had been a nervous wreck without you.**_

"We were all waiting for you to come home, too," I finished, shyly smiling up at him.

_**I always sat at the fringes of Edge, waiting to see you.**_

"I'm sorry I worried all of you," he replied. "But we're here to stay now."

"I'm sure everyone will be happy to hear that news."

_**I'm estatic.**_

"I..I..." I trailed off. "Never mind."

"What is it?" Cloud asked, finally looking down at me. Instead of using words, I stepped and hugged him, tears rolling down my face.

"I...We were all scared. We didn't know if you were going to come back." His arms wrapped around me and I buried my face in his chest and wept, finally letting out the fear that had been stored inside of me for so long.

Instead of answering me, he lifted my chin and I closed my eyes, ashamed to be crying in front of him. The only clue I had to what he was going to do was warm breath carressing my lips just before he kissed me. The tears suddenly stopped as everything around me seemed to slow. I had waited for this for so long, and it was truly happening! I relaxed into the kiss until Cloud pulled away.

"I...I...I...love you!" I blurted, opening my eyes to gauge his reaction. Instead of rejection like I had thought he would, he truly smiled.

"I love you too," he said simply before claiming my lips in another kiss.


	3. Madarame Ikkaku from Bleach

_**Here for All Eternity We Stand; Rise Above the Universe Tonight**_

Name: Touki Somuta

Age: 142

Squad: Third seat of squad eleven

* * *

I sat on the edge of the eleventh division compound, polishing my sword. Homura loved to be coddled when she wasn't in combat, and she never liked to fight without her beautiful shine. Yet, who was I to complain? She definately got the job done and allowed me to beat Ikkaku for his third seat in our division.

"Hey, Touki!" I growled under my breath, but continued to wipe the blade, looking for any markings.

"What Ikkaku?" I called back, not even looking up.

"Get ready!" Just to piss him off, I lifted my hand.

"Blue fire: Crash down!" The kido spell fired from my hand and nailed Ikkaku midleap, halting the battle before it even started.

"Damn it, that hurt!"

"Well, don't complain to me. Homura's not ready for a fight."

"Then get her ready."

"She doesn't like you," I retorted, lifting my zanpakto to see the shine in the fading sunlight. "Why don't you go pick on Kamiko? She loves to fight with you."

"She's not third seat."

"Don't make me scream, Ikkaku. Homura isn't ready. She's still being pampered." With my threat hanging between us, Ikkaku took a defensive step back. Throughout the soul society, it was known that my scream could shatter glass and rupture eardrums, and the threat always managed to keep Ikkaku at bay when my sword was being cleaned.

"What's with you today?" Ikkaku asked, sheathing his sword.

"I don't want to talk about it," I muttered, sheathing my own sword. I could feel Homura's satisfaction, and knew she'd be ready when I made my patrol down in Rugonkai.

"Ah," Ikkaku stated, knowledge lighting his eyes. "You're on patrol."

"Yeah," I sighed, looking up at the sky. "And mother was expecting me to be home for dinner tonight, and I don't have the heart to tell her I won't be."

"Pansy."

"You want to tell her?" I asked, cutting my gaze to meet his eyes. I could see the instant recoil, and laughed slightly. "Yeah, me neither."

"When are you leaving?" I looked up at the sky, and realized it was almost time.

"A few minutes. I was just getting ready."

"Out all night?"

"Yeah. I pulled the short stick on this one." No longer in battle mode, Ikkaku walked over to me and ruffled my hair. I shot him a slightly disgruntled look before straightening it back with my fingers.

"Vain wench," he teased.

"You're friends with Yumichika, and you don't have any complaints about his girlfriend, Kamiko."

"That's because she's hot."

"And I'm not?" I asked, smiling at him. Ikkaku winced, knowing he'd fallen into a trap, but I let him out by flicking his nose. "Been fun, but I have to go. I'll duel with you another time, Ikkaku." I leapt away from him, making my way over to the huge gates. Once I arrived, I landed near the gates and gently stroked the hilt of my zanpakto. "Here we go, Homura," I whispered.

"I demand for the gate to be lifted!" I called out.

"State your name and rank," the giant called back from the outside.

"Touki Somuta, third seat of eleventh squad." Finally getting the formality out of the way, I added, "I'm on patrol tonight." The gate opened and I walked out and smiled at the gatekeeper. "Thanks."

"No problem," the gatekeeper said before dropping the gate. I waved goodbye and jumped away, landing on a nearby roof. I crouched, and closed my eyes, sensing for any hollows in the immediate area. When nothing arose, I jumped away, going to the next section of Rugonkai.

*******************

Darkness had fallen long ago, and I had to admit, I was missing mom's cooking. Currently, I was lounging in the 63 district, bored with my job. Absolutely no hollows had shown up tonight, even though we had been having sporadic infiltrations of the enemy for a few weeks now. Homura was quiet at my side, and I could feel her bloodlust. She was pumped and ready for battle, but since no hollows were currently available, she was amusing herself by allowing me to know of her displeasure. I put a placating hand on the hilt of my sword, and closed my eyes to think of the one man I wanted by my side.

Ikkaku.

Just thinking his name gave me the shivers and I smiled at the various sensations I felt in my gut. I actually missed him already, since he always stopped by my house at night. It was if he was almost watching over me, but...I knew he wasn't. Ikkaku wasn't one that was made for the love I felt for him, so I kept it to myself. I could love him enough for the both of us. I had been doing so for at least 80 years, but it didn't hurt as I thought it would. It actually enhanced my fighting, because I wanted to show Ikkaku that I was good enough for the third seat I had taken from him.

Finally, the scream of a nearby hollow split the night, and I jumped to my feet. Homura came to life at my side and I drew her quickly and flash stepped over to the reiatsu. I landed on a nearby tree and gazed down at the hollow. Its mask was cracked, leaving its right eye visible, which was odd. Whenever I had seen a hollow with a mask like that, it was just before it had died. But this one seemed to be alive and well as its scream pierced the night once again. I heard the screams of terror from the people below as the gigantic hollow began to march toward the town. The tree I was currently on was in front of the beast, but it only reached up to the creature's stomach.

"You ready Homura?" The sword hummed in my hand. "Shimmer, Homura." As my rieatsu levels burst from me, my sword split, leaving a smaller, thinner sword in each of my hands.

I leapt at the hollow's leg and jammed my sword into it, gauging the creature's reaction. As I had hoped, it wailed, then turned its massive head to look down at me, the innocents in front of it forgotten. It opened its mouth, and spewed little creatures about the size of my fist. I withdrew both of my blades and flash stepped onto its back to fight the creatures. As they came at me, I concentrated, ready to pull out my first attack.

"Raining blades."

As the creatures neared, I began to slice, my speed and agility enhanced, and the monsters began to pile around my feet. However, there were simply too many, and on lodged itself in my arm. Ignoring it for now, I kept slicing. Suddenly, I felt it burrowing into my arm and I jumped away from the scene to pull it out. When I did, it shuddered and exploded. The blast threw me off my feet and I flipped in the air, managing to slide to a stop in front of the hollow. Again, it opened its mouth, and I looked to the town behind me. Those things couldn't be allowed to kill any of the villagers. Not while the third seat was here. With Homura at my side, we leapt into the fray of instects, slicing all that we could, until the creature's face loomed into view.

"Take this!" I yelled, slicing its mask with both of my swords. With a final scream, the creatures embedded into various places of my body exploded, and the hollow dissapeared. I landed roughly, falling onto my side from the loss of blood. "So whaddya say, Homura? Enough fun for one day?" I placed the two swords together and they merged. I wiped off the blood from the blade before my finnicky zanpakto could complain, and stood up. I stretched my aching muscles and felt weak...a feeling I wasn't used to, or comfortable with.

"Miss shinigami?" I turned to see a few frightened villagers edging toward me. I must admit, I had to look terrifying with the wounds and blood covering my body. I was impressed that these three even talked to me, actually.

"Is everyone all right?" I asked, looking towards the city.

"Y...yes. Thanks to you." I smiled in contentment.

"Good. If you need anything else, contact the soul society for Touki Somuta." Before I could embarass myself by fainting, I leapt away from the scene, trying to get to Unohana before daybreak. Yet even as I ran, the Seretei never seemed to get any closer, and black spots began dancing in front of my eyes. With a small curse, I tried to hold on, but finally, my body had enough, and I pitched forward, heading head first into the ground. My eyes began to close but suddenly, I was caught in the air. I couldn't raise my head to see my rescuer and before I passed out, I smiled.

He smelled like Ikkaku.

*******************

The next morning, I opened my eyes and groaned. I was in the hospital, which meant someone had carried me here. That meant that Kenpachi would have heard, which would mean he would train me to the hardest extent that I could handle. On top of that, I was going to have to deal with my mother's frantic worrying, and that was highly tedious work.

"Oh, you're up. How do you feel?" I looked to the doorway to spot a nurse, a clipboard in her hand.

"Good. How long until Unohana lets me out this time?"

"She says you're fit to go." Figures. She'd let my mom fuss over me instead of keeping me against my will. Clever woman. I looked around for my normal dress I had worn last night, and the nurse must have caught my action.

"I'm sorry, but your dress was shredded beyond repair. We had to destory it." I sighed over the loss, but smiled at the nurse.

"That's fine. I still have my robes to wear." I sat up gingerly and pulled the covers from my body. To my amusement, various holes covered my robes, one even showing the side of my hip, giving me glimpses of my own underwear. "Well, this'll be dandy to walk home in. If Yumichika catches me, I'm a dead woman." The nurse walked over and helped me stand. Once I was on my feet, she let go, knowing about the eleventh division's views on outside help.

"If your wounds don't heal, please don't hesitate to return." I smiled at her, both of us knowing that would never happen if I had a say in it.

"Will do. Thanks for the help." I grabbed Homura from the bed and simply let her rest on my right shoulder. I didn't want to take the chance of my belt coming undone. As I walked out of the hospital, I drew many glances for my peculiar state of attire, and I tried to keep in my laughter. I almost wanted to see Yumichika for his face of horror.

"Touki Somuta!" I looked toward the door, already knowing who it was.

Wish granted.

"Oh, Yumichika, what a pleasant surprise," I said with a grin. His chagrin was every bit as amusing as I thought it would be, and I began laughing.

"What happened? You look so....so..."

"Yeah, I know. I'm going home to change." Looking beyond Yumichika, I spotted Ikkaku, who was staring at me intently. "Oh, hey Ikkaku." I brushed past Yumichika, giving him a saucy grin, and flicked Ikkaku's nose. "Shoulda been on patrol last night. It was a blast."

"You mean three nights ago." Past Ikkaku was Kamiko, Yumichika's girlfriend. She was beautiful in every right, even if she was pissed, as she was now.

"Was I out that long? I must have been tired," I joked. Kamiko shot me a look of disdain before waving an elegant hand in the air.

"It's true. Your wounds were extensive and Kenpachi heard about it."

Drat.

"He wants to train you later."

Double drat.

"So when you get out of the hospital, you're to go straight to him. Well...that's what he said. Tsuchi convinced him to allow you time with your mother, so you'll have a few more days of peace." I smiled.

"Good old Tsuchi. She's been good for the captain."

"She seems to have mellowed out into a beautiful wife," Kamiko agreed. "I'm sure she'll be there through your training as well, so don't worry about it excessively." Finally, she pushed herself from the hospital wall and gestured to her boyfriend. "Come, Yumichika. It's time for us to go. Ikkaku, take Touki home, will you?" With a last glance full of horror, Yumichika left with Kamiko, leaving me alone with Ikkaku. I grinned at Yumichika's back, and began to walk out of the hospital. At the door, I turned back to Ikkaku.

"Are you coming?" I asked him, smiling. He nodded.

"Yeah."

****************

"Oh, Touki! Breakfast!" I groaned, my muscles protesting any movement, and stopped even trying to get out of bed. "Come on, Touki! Quit sleeping." Oh, if only I was sleeping. Mom finally poked her head into the doorway, and saw me. "What's wrong?"

"Kenpachi, that's what's wrong. His training kills...literally." With a sympathetic look, she dissapeared and appeared a few moments later with a tray of food.

"Here you go. Breakfast in bed for our brave little survivor." I rose slightly, the pain absorbing my laughter, and Mom placed the tray onto my lap.

"I knew I loved you for a reason," I said, digging in.

"I'm glad to see you back. Your wounds look much better today." Most of the worst part had healed, leaving only superficial scars and scrapes, but my mother wasn't one to be daunted from her worry streak. "Ikkaku also stopped by. I told him you were sleeping." Both of us looked at each other.

"How long until he comes through my window?"

"Only a couple of minutes," she answered, a conspiratorial grin on her face. She patted my cheek and rose. "So I'll get going and leave you two lovebirds alone."

"Mom!" I cried out, blushing straight to the roots of my hair.

"Honey, don't deny the obvious."

"And don't tell him, either."

"I wouldn't dream of it," she declared, innocence etched onto her features. Knowing this routine, I just stared at her. "Oh, would you look at the time. I'll be in the living room not listening to your conversation!" With that, she whisked from the room, and I sighed. She meant well and hopefully, she wouldn't actually listen to Ikkaku and I. I began to eat my food, simply waiting for my friend to come into my room. It had been a game to both of us, during our early years of friendship, to sneak into the other's room and try to catch them off guard. Later I found out he was scared of my mother and her bulldozing personality. I did remember the one time she actually got Ikkaku to not drink sake because it would be bad for him. That was definately a priceless moment I never had forgotten.

"Touki, you up?"

"Come on in, Ikkaku." He leapt through the window and I immediately offered him food. He shook his head and looked me over.

"You seem to be in one piece."

"Don't worry. I'm crying on the inside."

"Can't move?"

"No, not really." He grinned, giving his facial features drastic sex appeal, and I smiled at him in return. "Who brought me in to the hospital? Did they say?"

"No."

"Tell me, Ikkaku," I ordered, wanting to know. Not only did my bossy nature demand an answer, but I generally wanted to know so that I could thank the person.

"I dunno."

"Liar. Tell me now."

"Fine, I did. Now stop your complaining...and will you shut your mouth? It's not that big of a thing." Recovering from the initial shock, I snapped my jaw shut and analyzed Ikkaku. He seemed out of sorts and a bit uneasy with admitting the truth. Which meant that he indeed had gone after me....and nothing could have pleased me better.

"Well thanks. If you hadn't come after me, I might have died." Not wanting to let him off the hook just yet, I pushed on. "Why did you come after me, anyways?"

"Why do you want to know?" he asked, on the defensive. I smiled inwardly as I realized the truth, and set the plate of food to the side of me.

"Because I want to know. Is there something you don't want to tell me, Ikkaku?" I stood from the bed, ignoring my screaming muscles, and walked over to Ikkaku. I ignored the fact that my nightshirt was gaping profusely in the front and focused completely on Ikkaku. I wasn't vain, but I knew my own appeal. He had told me that he had loved my eyes when I woke up, and I was going to use every weapon in my arsenal to make him admit it.

"No, nothing." He took a step back, and I took one forward.

"Are you sure, Ikkaku? I can make you talk."

"What? You couldn't make me do anything!" He argued, his temper flaring. I walked over to him, and smiled mischeviously.

"Wanna bet?" I asked sensually before grabbing his chin and pulling him down into a kiss. I let my body relax against his and I felt his immediate shock as his body tensed in reaction. Just to mess with his head, I nipped his lower lip, and licked the same spot. "You want to tell me, Ikkaku?" I trailed my fingers from his chin down to his chest, and stopped at his navel.

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked, his gaze serious for once. I smiled tenderly at him.

"You know why, Ikkaku. You're just too dumb to see it."

"I'm not-"

I kissed him again, stopping him in midsentence.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?" At my statement, he grinned, and this time, he leaned down to kiss me.

"No one but you."

"That's right," I murmured. "Because I love you."

"Che. I know."


	4. Kankuro from Naruto

_Thunk_

"I can't believe this," I muttered, yanking the kunai out of the log. I caught it in between my fingers, then flung it back.

_Thunk_

"Dammit, I can't believe he would actually do this." With a yank, I brought the kunai back into my hand, and let my chin fall into my hand.

_Thunk_

"So this is where you went?" I turned to see Kankuro beside me, watching me curiously.

"Shouldn't you be guarding the kazekage?" I asked nastily.

_Thunk_

"Want me to guard him in his sleep?"

"You're a pervert," I muttered.

_Thunk_

"Will you quit that?" he asked, slightly irritated. "You've been doing that for an hour now."

"You want me to use your body as a target instead," I asked him, catching the kunai between my fingers once again.

"Why don't you go and sing?" he nearly sneered. I glared at him.

"Don't get on your high horse just because you guard the kazekage. Some of us just aren't at your level yet and I need the money to pay the bills." My fingers tightened around the kunai, and I barely resisted the urge to throw the kunai in his neck.

"Hmph. What could a lowly Chunin possibly know about fighting?" I prayed a simply litatany to keep from murder.

Don't kill him, don't kill him, don't kill him, don't kill him, don't kill him...

"Look, I don't feel like sparring with you today, Kankuro. Leave me alone." I stood, flicking a final glare at Kankuro, and began to make my way back towards Suna, swinging the kunai by the string to amuse myself.

"Well aren't you in a bad mood?" he asked, falling into step behind me. I felt my whole body tense, and realized that I was in a worse mood than I had thought I was. I began to run away as fast as I could, trying to get away from Kankuro.

_If I was close to him, I could break down._

_If he asked me what was wrong, I would tell him._

_If he tried to stop me, I might do something I regret._

"You think you can outrun me?" Kankuro asked, greatly amused. All I had to do was get back to Suna. That's all. I just had to get back, and the mess would be cleaned up. My mother would have seen to it.

"Just leave me alone, dammit!" I yelled, increasing my speed. Of course, Kankuro kept pace with me easily, and I cursed fate at bringing him my way.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, stepping in front of me. Instead of stopping, I jumped and flipped over him. I landed softly and began to run, but he held my hair and yanked. I fell backwards and cried out in pain, but at the same time, I lifted my leg to kick him in his arrogant face. I felt an impact and I looked up, only to see him block my strike.

I landed on my back and used my hands to flip onto my feet once again, glaring daggers at Kankuro, truly angry this time around.

"Just leave me alone, Kankuro." This time, his eyes were serious, not a hint of arrogance or playfulness in them. He was looking at me from a ninja standpoint, gauging my emotions and my physical state.

I knew I was screwed. My chest was heaving and my hands were in fists by my side. I knew my anger was seeping through, and I was too shaken to control it. He had touched my personal items of clothing. Arranged them on the bed so I would know he had been there. Another wave of humiliation passed through my body, and I broke off eye contact with Kankuro. I turned to run, but he saw what I was going to do, and stepped in front of me once again.

"What happened to you?" he asked, taking the puppet from his back and placing it beside of him. With one hand he held the puppet upright, and the other was at his side, ready to strike.

"Nothing happened," I growled back.

_I had to keep my composure. He could never know my shame._

"I know something did. You're scared." My eyes widened. Could he read me that easily? "What are you afraid of?" I swallowed the womanly urge to spill my guts and took a step back.

"I said nothing!" I yelled back. Nothing had been taken, but everything had changed. I wasn't safe. I would never be safe. Blood began to seep from my hands and fell into the sand at my feet. I didn't look, refusing to acknowledge my own weakness.

"What has happened?"

"I said nothing!" I cried out, a tear leaking from my left eye.

************

This was his work. I knew it was Saito from when I saw the initial strike. Sure, he didn't trash the place, but he replaced everything in the house where he had liked it. It was a clear message to me, as clear as the letter on my bed.

_My dearest Kauro,_

_I've longed for you every day since we've been apart. My love for you hasn't gone away since you left me. I have found you and will always find you. You cannot run away from me, my darling. The world isn't safe without me. You aren't safe without me. I promise to protect you, my love. I will be watching you. Always._

_Your husband,_

_Saito_

*************

"I'm fine! I'm completely safe! I don't need you to worry about me, I don't!"

Shame. I was swimming in it. A ninja couldn't protect herself in the most fundamental of ways, and had allowed an enemy entrance into her very own home. I felt dirty. Used. Like Saito wanted me too.

"Who asked if you were safe?" Kankuro asked, taking a step toward me. His eyes were serious still, but there was a softer edge to them than before.

"It doesn't matter," I replied, a tear leaking out from my right eye. "He..." I shook my head.

"He?" Kankuro prompted. I couldn't deal with his caring, and finally, I collapsed on the ground, sobs racking my body. I felt arms wrap around my shoulders, and I took the oportunity to bury my face into Kankuro's neck.

Never before had I seen this side of Kankuro, and I was grateful he was allowing himself to comfort me. There was such a burden placed on me with the knowledge that Saito was back. I had been alone, constantly in fear, only sleeping a few hours every night. I hadn't seen hide nor hair of Saito, but an instinct told me he was there, just out of sight.

"My ex husband," I sobbed out, breaking down entirely. I felt his surprise through the tightening of his arms, but I continued. "He's trying to take me back as his wife, and I don't want to! He will kill anyone I love, and anyone I hold dear to me, just so I would go back..." I trailed off with a sob. "I hate him. I hate him, Kankuro. Yet I can't fight him. No one can save me. I'm so weak...so weak..."

I began to sob again, mumbling incoherant words and phrases. Yet with each tear I shed, I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders.

"What happened," Kankuro asked as I finally calmed down. My cheeks were wet with an occasional tear, but I was calmer now.

"He went through my stuff. Touched my underwear...bras...everything. Nothing was taken, but everything was either moved or touched. I know he was there. He went inside my house, Kankuro. My house!"

"Don't worry, kid," he stated, letting me go and standing. He bent over and lifted me into his arms with little effort, and I glared angrily.

"Kankuro, you pervert," I began, when his hand reached down and gave my butt a slight squeeze. I jumped out of his arms and glared. "Dammit Kankuro! You should know better than to take advantage of a woman!"

"Take advantage of you? Please," he scoffed. "Now let's enter Suna. It'll be dark soon." With that, he grabbed his puppet and began to walk away. As his back was turned, my eyes softened.

_Thank you for the comfort...and the cheering up. You always make me forget my troubles, even if for a little while._

I began to walk behind him, a content smile on my face.

_And that is one of the reasons I look up to you...and...like you, Kankuro._

* * *

"Everything's back to normal, Kauro." I looked inside my small apartment, and saw that my mother had spoken truly. I had been away for an hour, and everything had been righted again.

"Thanks, mom. But I think I'll find someplace else to stay tonight." She smiled sadly at me and nodded her assent. She understood me, and knew that this wasn't the time to question. I turned away from her, leaving her to lock the door, and began to walk down the street.

Most of the people walking were going home, and I knew that this was going to be a long night tonight. Saito might come after me in the streets. He was bold enough for it. He was an ex Jounin from Suna, and was on the road to becoming an ANBU.

What I had I seen in Saito? He had been charming, and seemed that he was a man straight from my dreams. But how wrong I had been. He was controlling, demanding, and enjoyed ruling me in fear. He hadn't cared for my emotions at all. I was merely a trophy in his plans, one that was going to be shaped and molded to suit his own personality.

"Oi, Kauro." I was drawn out of my musings as I heard my name. I turned only to see Kankuro at the steps of his own house. Even subconsciously I was seeking his acceptance, and seeking him in times of stress.

"Oh, Kankuro," I said shyly. Had I really confessed my dirty little secret to him that easily?

"Come inside."

"But-"

"You're not going to spend the night in your apartment. I know you well enough for that. I also knew you would turn up her eventually, so I've been waiting for you." With his last words, my heart fluttered, and I looked down to hide the emotion hiding in my eyes.

"I'll just be putting you and the rest of your house in danger," I whispered. "Saito didn't like it when I spent time with other men. He'd kill you and punish me. So...I'd best be going." As I began to walk, I felt his hand grasp my arm. I looked up into his eyes and felt as if he was staring straight into my soul.

"Was he really that horrible?" Kankuro asked. I looked away. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

"I..." I began, shocked at the depth of feeling I heard behind his question. "I...was..."

"Not out here," he said, interrupting me. I looked to see a man watching us, a curious look on his face, and nodded at Kankuro.

"I'll go inside, but only to talk."

"Once I get you inside, you're not leaving until tomorrow." I glared at him, a twitch in my eye.

"Oh, you think so, you arrogant swine?" He simply grinned at me and pulled me inside his house, shutting the door behind me. As he did so, he pushed with both hands, trapping me inside of his arms. He wasn't looking at me, but he was so close that I could feel the heat from his body.

"Come on," he simply said, slowly pulling his hands back from the door. I didn't move...I couldn't move. It was if I was frozen in place, waiting for him to move away from me. Or...to kiss me. I couldn't deny I had a strong urge to stand on my tiptoes and kiss him myself, but my body wouldn't allow it.

He allowed his fingers to skim my arms before he turned and gestured over his shoulder.

"Come one, Kauro." I felt my eye twitch in anger. How dare he leave me just like that! How dare he!

Nevertheless, I followed him upstairs and into his room, where he placed his puppet by the foot of his bed. He took off his hat and tossed that onto his bed. He picked up a dirty towel by the foot of his bed, and wiped off his face with the towel.

Finally, he turned around once more, and I was shocked. I had never seen Kankuro without his paint before, and I had to admit, I was even more impressed with his looks that I had been before.

"Now. As we were talking about." He flopped onto his bed and watched me through hooded eyes. I eyed the distance to the door, and was rewarded with his laugh. "Don't even think about it, Kauro. You wouldn't make it."

"He was...Kankuro." I heard his breath catch slightly. "There were times I wanted to kill myself. Only my mother and my ninja way prevented me from doing it. I didn't tell you because I was ashamed, and thought you hated me back then. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"You idiot. I never hated you." This time, I was the one that smiled.

"It sure seemed like it. Every kimono I wore wasn't good enough. Each kunai I threw was off the mark. The spars I had with you dissapointed you. It was a wonder that I became your friend."

"I wasn't that bad," he defended. I laughed softly and walked over to sit by the top of the bed, leaving a few feet between us.

"I remember you saying that you couldn't believe a ugly hag like me had gotten married."

"That's when you called me an arrogant swine."

"And gaara got angry at you. Nearly made it so you couldn't walk for a week."

"And it was all your fault," Kankuro shot back.

"No, I definately remember you being the loud one." His laughter was almost a bark, and he turned his grin on me. He jumped and grabbed my wrists with one hand as the other pulled the ribbon from my hair.

"I remember you wore your hair down just like this." Instead of protesting the intimate contact, like I should have, I merely laughed, letting him hold my wrists.

"You said I should cut my mop of a head, to be exact." I remembered the incident quite clearly. It was one of the first times where I had realized his meaness was merely a front.

"And then you said I should change out of my kimono into my ninja outfit, and toss all of my kimonos into a fire." Kankuro leaned close, only inches away from my ear, and whispered his secret.

"I was jealous of Saito." I turned to face him, and found our lips mere inches away from one another. I could feel the blush rising on my cheeks, and could feel a heightened awareness of each place our bodies were touching.

"God, Kauro-" He leaned in and his lips settled onto mine even as his free hand settled on the back of my head. My hands slid up and grabbed a fistfull of his clothes in answer to his move. He pulled me closer to him by the back of my head, and I deepened the kiss willingly. A slight moan came from my mouth, and I felt his hand grab a fistfull of hair in reaction. I knew that the sound had pleased him, and I was glad, knowing that I could-

_Knock Knock_

Never before had I wanted to kill a person more than I had the person on the other side of the door. With a curse on his lips, he stood and made his way over to the door. Knowing I shouldn't be sitting on his bed, I stood, and probably saved Kankuro's life.

My eyes widened as I felt cold steel pierce the flesh on my back, and I gasped in pain. Yet that small sound made Kankuro turn, and I saw his eyes widen as I fell to my knees.

"Run...Kankuro," I whispered. Then the world exploded.

Multiple kunai and shuriken were thrown through the window, and my heart stopped as I saw Saito leap into the room with us.

"I knew I couldn't trust you. You're weak, and couldn't resist. I'll have to teach him a lesson, my darling Kauro. I'll have to. But you'll both learn. I know you will."

Fear clogged my throat as I realized the danger I had put Kankuro in.

"I'll just put you to sleep. This will only hurt for a little while, my love." He leaned over, taking advantage of my surprise, and cleanly hit my neck, causing me to black out.

*******************

"No!" I cried, bolting up from the bed. My wounds cried in agony, but I ignored them and looked around the room. It was Kankuro's room, but why would I be here? Saito would have taken me home with him, that's for sure.

"Kauro?" I looked, and saw Kankuro at the doorway. I smiled at him, and he came to sit down on the edge of his bed. Before he said anything, he grabbed the back of my head and pulled my lips into his. His greedy possession told me volumes about the situation than his worried eyes. He had indeed been worried sick about me.

"What happened?" I asked, pulling only a few inches from Kankuro's lips. I let my forehead rest against his as I borrowed his strength.

"Saito was slain by Gaara's hand," he answered.

"Then...it's over?" I asked.

"Yeah. It's over."

"Then, I can go home, right?" I saw a slight change in his facial features, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Right." I then stood and saw that indeed I could hold my own weight on my legs, and breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't too badly injured. I made my way to the door, and turned back to Kankuro.

"I left a note on your table for you. You should read it. I know you're going to come to my place, so I'll have some food ready for you. Well, see you." With that, I left as quickly as I could, embarrassed that he may have not liked the song I had written for him.

**********

Upstairs, Kankuro smiled at her quick retreat, then went and grabbed the letter from the table. His eyes widened as he read the words, and he felt his heart quicken. She loved him....he knew she did.

And...he loved her.

**********

_My gift is my song_

_And this one's for you_

_And you can tell everybody_

_That this is your song_

_It maybe quite simple_

_But now that it's done_

_Hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind_

_That I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is now you're in the world_

_Sat on the roof_

_And I kicked off the moss_

_Well some of the verses well_

_They got me quite cross_

_But the sun's been kind_

_While I wrote this song_

_It's for people like you that_

_Keep it turned on_

_So excuse me for forgetting_

_But these things I do_

_You see I've forgotten_

_If they're green or they're blue_

_Anyway the thing is well I really mean_

_Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen_

_And you can tell everybody_

_This is your song_

_It may be quite simple_

_But now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is now you're in the world_

_I hope you don't mind_

_I hope you don't mind that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is now you're in the world._


	5. Abarai Renji from Bleach

Name: Shimizu (means clear water), Natsumi (means summer beauty)

Occupation: Shinigami

Squad: 7th Division, 3rd seat

* * *

"Kisuke-san!" I called out, opening the door to his shop quietly.

"Oh, Natsumi!" Turning slightly to the left, I spotted Tessai coming out of the storeroom, boxes stacked in his arms.

"Hello Tessai-dono. Is Kisuke-san around?"

"He's downstairs at the moment." I smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Tessai-dono." I padded quietly over the wooden floor and worked my way into the kitchen, where I pulled the trap door upwards. Immediately I was hit with the sounds of battle, and I smiled instantly. Renji must be downstairs, according to the chaos I was hearing even at my great height. Ignoring the ladder, I simply bypassed it by jumping to the ground and landing softly on my feet. I used flash step to get on top of a nearby vantage point, and scanned the training ground for any disturbance. Sure enough, I saw Renji's bankai poke its head upwards from the rocks around it, and fire off an attack at whoever his opponent happened to be.

"You're definately not the stealthiest, Renji." I jumped from rock to rock, looking around for Kisuke. He always supervised the battles below his shop, most likely to keep all of his possessions safe.

"Natsumi-chan!" I smiled at the cheerful voice and spotted Urahara. He was waving with his trusty fan and I landed beside of him. "I expected you back sooner."

"I'm learning how to get out of my gigai without your pills, though I'm still having some trouble." Urahara laughed, and fanned his face, his eyes cutting to the battle below him.

"Oh? Trying to put me out of work, are you?" I laughed and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"You know I wouldn't dream of it. Who is Renji fighting?"

"Chad," he answered, giving the battle his full attention. I stepped to the edge as well only to see that the area around the two combatants was literally destroyed.

"They've been going at it a while, haven't they?"

"Yes, for quite some time now."

"Is Chad doing better?" I asked, genuinally interested.

"Yes. His defensive skills have improved greatly since he began training. However, he still can't control his left arm." With a sigh of acceptance, I looked down, only to see Chad fall forward. "Oh, looks like they finished. Do you mind getting Chad for me?"

"No problem," I stated before dissapearing and reapearing beside of the downed Chad. I leaned down and brushed the hair from his eyes, only to find him still awake. "You fought well, Chad. Now let me help you upstairs." I looped his arm around my shoulders and stood, Chad attempting to help.

"Do you need any help?" Urahara asked politely.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" The fan was frantically moving to fan his face, and I knew he was teasing me on purpose. Even so, my pride still kicked in.

"I got it," I replied, tossing my hair to the side and lifting my chin a notch. I began to jump away, leaving Urahara's laughter behind me.

* * *

Night had fallen, and the weary Chad had left for home, leaving me with Urahara's gang and Renji. I didn't mind the present company in the least, because Urahara never made me work. It was always Renji's job.

"Would you like some more rice, freeloader-san?" Trying not to laugh, I scooped another bite and chewed slowly, casting my eyes down at my food. I knew if I looked at Renji, I would dissolve into peals of laughter.

"Yes, don't worry. We've all had our fill. Why don't you get another bowl?" Urahara asked, joining in on the fun. I closed my eyes and tried to stop the small shaking my internal laughter was causing, until Renji finally dashed from the room.

"Urahara-san, you're horrible," I stated, my eyes still shining with mirth.

"A little fun's good for him," he justified. "Make him work a little harder."

"If that's what helps you sleep at night. Speaking of, I'll go and check on Renji."

"Make sure to tell him he'll have to sweep tomorrow if he tries to sneak in and take the food."

"Urahara!" I cried out, scandalized and amused at the same time. He shrugged and I touched my finger to my chin.

"You know, you could possibly reorganize your storeroom. You said you needed Jinta to do it, but..." I trailed off, leaving the implication in the air, and Urahara waved me away with his fan.

"You're a bad influence on me. Go on." I left the room, laughing. If Renji ever heard me say that, I'd be a dead woman.

"Renji!" I called out, knocking on his door. He opened it only to reveal him shirtless and before my eyes could devour him, I closed my eyes and turned away. "Geez, Renji. Put some clothes on, will you?"

"You came into my room," he defended.

"Like hell I did, I knocked!"

"So? I didn't know it was you!"

"Well the next time you think Urahara's a woman, I'll be glad to disprove you." I looked up only to see my comment hit home, and I laughed. He could easily fall into any verbal trap I set for him, and seeing the slight blush on his cheeks was a sweet victory indeed.

"I heard that!" the faint voice called from downstairs. I laughed, causing Renji to close his eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked crossly, probably annoyed at my little fun with me.

"We're due back in the Seretei tomorrow instead of the day after."

"How come?"

"Dunno. Byakuya's orders for you. I just came to get you back, pineapple head."

"What? I'm not a pineapple head-"

"See ya!" I turned on my heel and waved goodbye, smiling tenderly at Renji's furious sputtering behind me. When would he ever realize that I adored pineapples?

* * *

"Hey Izuru!" Matsumoto called, positively wasted. Only a few days had passed since I had brought Renji home, and the monthly tradition of all the vice captains getting wasted had apparently not been changed. "Pass down some sake, will you?"

I was on the roof above them, simply reading a romance novel Urahara had aquired for me. I was actually hanging onto every word, waiting for the drunken vice captains to attempt to go home. The third seats usually ended up helping their own squad members home, and I was definately no exception.

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya's voice broke through my little world, and I smiled at the crashing inside, followed by a quick 'taichou!'. "You haven't finished your paperwork!"

That's no surprise.

Knowing the party was over, I shut my book and stepped off of the building, landing next to the doorway. Hitsugaya passed me, dragging his drunken lieutenant back to her workstation...which she hardly ever occupied. I looked around for my vice captain, and spotted him casually standing from the far side of the table. I walked over to him and realized, with a start, that he was completely sober.

"Iba-san! Didn't you...?" I trailed off and Iba shook his head.

"No, not this time around. Unohana would never forgive me if I had any alcohol tonight."

"Why?" He blushed.

"It's too soon after my last treatment." I just shook my head, smiling. When severe hangovers occured, they always went to Unohana. And after she "emptied their livers", they had a time limit not to drink again...and no one crossed Unohana. "Help someone else tonight. I'm fine."

"Who?" I began to ask, when I saw Renji stand and sway violently. Realizing even I couldn't pass up this great chance, I walked over to Renji and took a hold of his arm. Before he could say anything in his drunken state, I began to guide him to eleventh division, murmuring words of praise and politeness to keep him from noticing his surroundings. I didn't think he would even be able to realize exactly where he was, but still, I couldn't take the chance. Finally I reached my destination, and found Ikkaku sprawled half on the bed and half on the floor, most likely deposited by a horrified Yumichika. Renji had apparently had enough of walking and went limp in my arms, causing me to stagger.

"Geez, Renji," I muttered. "Lay off the rice cakes, will you?" Mumbling curses under my breath, I deposited Renji onto Ikkaku's bed and draped a blanket over both the men. Oh, if only I had courage to stay here until morning. Finally, my little prank done, I leapt away from the scene before I could be spotted by any of the eleventh division. I made it back to my own quarters in the seventh division and looked around with a slight paranoia. Nothing seemed to be out of place, so I relaxed and allowed myself to go to sleep. Until the morning, all would be quiet.

* * *

The next morning I woke groggily to the sunlight filtering through my window. I sat up and looked out the window, realizing it was much earlier than I usually woke up. I groaned and flopped back down, trying to go back to sleep, when I realized exactly what had woken me up.

"What? You were in my bed, pervert!" Ikkaku roared.

"Quit shouting, damn it!" Renji yelled back. I couldn't help the wave of laughter and escaped and made no attempt to hide it. Their yelling could be heard all the way to my compound, saving me the energy to go and spy on them myself. Suddenly, my door opened, and my vice captain stepped inside, not asking about my state of attire. He knew how I slept and knew who caused the commotion.

"You know they're going to hunt you down," he stated, skipping nicesities. I could hear my two friends yelling at each other in the background, and knew they would come for me soon.

"I'll be long gone before then. I'll be in the secret training grounds if you need me." I bounded up, already dressed in my robes for a hasty departure.

"I see you've learned from last time," Iba stated. On my last little amusement, I had been caught sleeping, and didn't have the time to get dressed and run. This time, however, I was prepared.

"I learn from my mistakes," I stated, a bit miffed. I grabbed my zanpakto and sheathed it by my side, walking to the door to smile at Iba.

"You want my help?" he asked like he had every other time had gone out to train.

"No," I answered, holding up my hand. "I don't want help. I'll learn the bankai on my own."

"But Komamura and I can help you. Komamura knows his bankai, and he'll be happy to teach you." I shook my head.

"This is something I need to do on my own. When my zanpakto is ready, it will materialize and teach me bankai. Until then, I haven't passed its test." Iba opened his mouth to argue, but shut it. He knew I wouldn't listen to him anyways.

"All right. Go for today. I expect you to double your paperwork load tomorrow."

"I got it," I sighed out before flash stepping away. It was the price I paid for my safety and it was a fair bargain, so I didn't complain.

* * *

Hours after my rigorous training, I sat in a meadow, reading the same romance novel Urahara had given me. It was coming to the great conclusion, where the fair maiden was going to confess her feelings for the outcast of society, John. Oh, and she was pregnant! It was his baby! That means they had to marry in order to keep the baby legitimate. So that means they could love each other. What! Lacey doesn't care about your scar, John! Tell her you love her! Tell her-

The book was snapped shut and I looked up into the eyes of Renji. He didn't look angry, which meant I could live for a day longer...or until my need for mischief got me into more trouble.

"So this is where you ran to," he observed.

"I wanted some quiet after I trained," I answered truthfully. It was a nice, warm day out, and the sun was shining - an allure I could never resist.

"You gotten materialization yet?"

"No. I'm still gaining the strength to withstand bankai. I'll close, though. I can feel it."

"You've only been working on it a few years."

"So? With each day I train, I become stronger. Each day will get my closer to my goal and eventually, I'll learn bankai. I don't care how long it takes." With that, I flipped open my book and found the page that I had left off at.

"What are you reading?"

"Stuff from Urahara. He called it a romance novel, and I have to admit, I love this style of writing. It's so romantic."

"What? You read that stuff?"

"If you haven't noticed Renji, I am a girl. And two, I happen to enjoy the notion of love. And three, this writer is very detailed. I love her writing style."

"What does her writing style got to do with it?" he asked in the way all men do when they couldn't understand. I just rolled my eyes and began to read, blocking him out. "Then what is it about?"

"She's pregnant and about to confess her undying love for him. So hush."

"Pregnant?" Renji asked, sounding choked. I looked up, mischief dancing in my eyes.

"Well, pineapple-head, a woman gets pregnant from having sex. And apparently going by the material in this book, it's not confined to the bed. I'm finding this greatly interesting."

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you," he stammered out, a blush covering his cheeks.

"What? You asked." With that, I looked down at my book once more and bit the side of my lip to prevent laughter.

"You said Urahara gave you this book?" he asked, totally scandalized.

"Yeah," I confirmed, continuing the little plot Urahara and I had originally come up with. "I wanted some actual porn, but he said I couldn't borrow any of his."

"W...what?"

"I wanted to see what all the hype was about," I stated, shrugging, my eyes still glued to the book. "Ikkaku said he would watch them with me when I went back to earth. Yumichika might be there too. Oh, probably Matsumoto too. She said she'd show me the best of her collection." Deciding I'd tormented him enough for one sitting, I looked up to see a small rivulet of blood trickling down his upper lip while he held his nose with his other hand.

"You just didn't think of Matsumoto like that, did you?" I asked rhetorically. "Ugh. Men. Never understand a joke when you hear one." I finally gave my full attention back to my book and smiled at the conclusion. She agreed to marry him and live in the country togethere, where they could raise their child.

"So you and Urahara are close?" I shut my book and stretched as I stood, working out the kinks in my back and knees.

"Of course. He's my friend, just like you."

"So you're saying you'd take my porn?"

"Ew, Renji, you look at porn?" The resulting face of agitation and annoyance on his face was enough to make my day twice over, and I burst out laughing.

"I'll ask you again," he stated, angry now. "Are you and Urahara lovers?"

"What? No, Renji! Where did you get that idea?"

"Would you lie to me?"

"No, Renji." He stared intently into my eyes and must have decided I was telling the truth because he let me go, but didn't step away.

"Then is there anyone I have to kill to do this?" he asked, dangerously serious.

"Do wha-" His lips crashed onto my own, and I closed my eyes in ecstasy. I wasn't one to question fate, and I gave into the kiss wholeheartedly.

"Is there?" he asked as he pulled away slightly, his eyes softer now.

"No," I whispered. "Just you, pineapple head." Before he could get angry, I smiled tenderly at him. "What? Didn't you ever know that my favorite food is the pineapple?"


	6. Hitsugaya Toshiro from Bleach

Character they like: Hitsugaya Toshiro

Name: Kami Kaji

Age: appers 14

Shinigami

Zanptakto name: Kaminari Reddo Yuki (thunder, red, snow)

Shikai: Reddo Ice (red ice)

Bankai: Reddo Lightning (red lightning)

Seretei or Karakura Town: Seretei

Friends: Matsumoto, Yachiru, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Renji, Zaraki

Hobbies: training and pranking her friends

Personality: giggly, sweet, playfull, deadly when has been pushed to her limits of tolorence, secritive, can sometimes be short-tempered and irritable.

Zanpakto personality: bitter/sweet lusty

parents died when she was 8 and she lived alone till 14

****************

Sneaking past the unfortunate souls of her fellow shinigami, Kaji spied her victim. Matsumoto, clearly on her way to getting drunk, was drinking with Shuhei and Izuru, instead of doing her paperwork once again. Knowing that Toshiro-taichou was going to get into heaps of trouble unless Matusmoto kicked her ass into gear, Kaji had sprung into action.

"...and then, I saw him leave, and I came here! So hah! I can get past taichou!"

_But not by me, my pretty_.

"Oohhh, Toshiro's going to be pissed," Shuhei predicted, taking a light taste of his sake. That meant the party had just started, and Matsumoto would be sober enough to do what little paperwork Toshiro-taichou had left for her.

"Oh, he is already." All three shinigami jumped, and looked at the glint in my eyes. All three turned wary, wondering which one I was after today.

"Matsumoto...you should know better. Why don't you come with me and finish your paperwork now?" Before she could object, I reached into the left side of my robe, and began to pull out underwear, inch by inch. "Shuhei must have always wondered what kind you wore." She stood, and I grinned. "Don't worry, I have backup."

"I can never get past you," she grumbled, grabbing the sake jug on her way out. I allowed her that simple pleasure, knowing I couldn't bribe her more with only one pair of her underwear.

"We need to turn in our paperwork tomorrow," I stated, pulling out her underwear. She snatched them back and stuffed them in her own robe, but I could tell her anger was just for show.

"I still can't see why taichou hasn't seen it yet." As always the blush stained my cheeks, and I looked away. "I mean, it's so obvious! But noooo, taichou's always in his paperwork-"

"Your paperwork," I interjected, but she kept going.

"And he can't tell that his that his third seat is madly in love with him..."

"You're the only one that's noticed," I quipped.

"That's because men are dense," she answered, holing up her finger. I knew I had unlocked the speal, when her face became slightly serious, even in her tipsy state. "Men never notice anything, unless you say it to their face, and even then, they don't realize what they've said until you start to strip-"

"Matsumoto!" I cried out, taking Toshiro-taichou's favorite way to stop her ramblings. "Please, no more...I beg you."

"You'll hear about it one day, and you'll be sorry you never listened to me." I just shook my head. How did conversations with Matsumoto always lose control?

Because you know you love hearing it.

No. No I don't. Just because you're my zankpakto doesn't give you the right to keep being a sexual pervert.

But aren't I a manifistation of yourself?

I hated it when my zanpakto won arguments. But I could never banter with it and win, because it knew me too well.

"Here," I said, opening the door for her. She went in and sat at her desk and I sat in Toshiro-taichou's desk. "Give me half, would you? I'll help out."

"Thanks, Kaji." Matsumoto did as she was told, and I sat down and began to fill out the paperwork. A few moments later, I heard a thud, and I looked to see Matsumoto sprawled out over her paperwork, the jug in her hand close to tipping over. Used to it, I simply sighed and got up.

First, I grabbed the jug, then I slung Matsumoto's arm around my shoulders. I drug her over to the couch and settled her in, as I had done many times in the past, and placed the jug of sake beside of the couch. That chore complete, I sat back at Toshiro-taichou's desk and began to work.

Around an hour later, I stretched, and placed my head on the desk. I would rest my eyes for a moment, then I would get back to work. I was almost done, so it wouldn't be that much. Just a quick little rest...

************

I woke with a start and looked around. I was on the couch, with Taichou's haoiri draped over me. The worst part of it all was that it was daytime! Which meant the paperwork was due, and that I didn't get it done in time.

"Oh, Kaji, you're awake." I turned to see Toshiro-taichou looking at me.

"Toshiro-taichou!" I cried. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep-" He held up a hand to stop me.

"It's not your fault. It's Matsumoto's paperwork anyways."

"Did she get it done?" His eye twitched, which meant that he had done his paperwork, and that she had probably left at first light.

"It's done," he said simply before standing. "Today, I want to train you and Matsumoto." I sat up a bit straighter, recognizing the captain side.

"Yes Toshiro-taichou!" I quickly got off the bed, and handed his captain's haori back to him. He took it back, and I felt the first waves of nerves hit. He had to be the one that put me in the couch and he even covered me with his haori. It was something so simple, but it still brought butterflies to my stomach. "Where should we meet you?" I asked.

"Bring her to the training grounds." I bowed.

"Yes, Toshiro-taichou."

*************

"Isn't he here yet?" Matsumoto wasn't in the best mood; her hangover was actually quite fierce. I didn't agree with her odd complaining tendencies, but I agreed with the thought.

"Yes, taichou is usually more prompt," I agreed. He was always the responsible one, and Matsumoto the late one. Which was why this situation was odd. Was this a test of his? See how long I could keep Matsumoto under control? If it was so, then I was close to failure.

"I bet we can sneak away," Matsumoto whispered slyly. I cut my eyes at her.

"Taichou would be mad at us."

"Oh, try to argue with a woman in love. You never win." Her lips formed into a small pout and she looked around the training yard once again, missing the blush staining my cheeks.

"He'll be here," I promised. "Taichou is never late without reason."

"Neh, Kaji. When are you going to tell Toshiro about your feelings, hm?" This time, I glared at her.

"How about never? Helloooo, you remember Hinamori?" I saw the point had hit home, but she shrugged it off.

"Then fight for your man!" I pinched my eyes.

"Oh for the love of god. How are we on this subject again?" She laughed, and I had to grin. It was sufficient punishment for pulling her away from her drinking last night.

"Now seriously, where is that kid?"

"Matsumoto!" Both of us turned, to see a now red faced Toshiro looking at Matsumoto, murder in his eyes.

"There you are Taichou! I was getting worried." Her lack of fear was astounding, but Taichou would never really hurt her.

"I want you two to duel," he managed to growl out, trying to ignore his impossible vice captain.

"But why?" we asked at the same time.

"Just do it!" He yelled. Matsomoto looked at me and I shrugged as I drew my zanpakto. She drew her own, and I knew since she had a hangover, she'd finish the fight quickly to go and lay down. So in essence, she would come after me with everything she had.

"I hope you've been practicing, Matsumoto." I replied as I held my sword upwards. "Combine the elements, Kaminari Reddo Yuki." My sword elongated and took on a shimmering hue. Each color of the sword was the elements I could use, which gave it almost a rainbow effect. I sat back into a fighting stance, and waited for Matsumoto.

"Growl, Ash Cat." Her sword dissapeared into a cloud of ash, which swirled around her, waiting for her commands. "Here I come!" she warned, and flung her hand outwards. The ash followed and came straight for me. I jumped in the air, and slung my sword in a slashing movement.

"Reddo Ice." My sword glowed white as the power built within, and a stream of ice shot toward Matsumoto. She brought back her ash and deflected the attack, though a few flecks of ice made it down onto her. Again, she threw out her hand, and the ash came toward me.

The fight went on for a while, neither of us gaining an advantage over the other. Finally, I stopped and Matsumoto stopped watching me warily.

Yes, transform. I no longer want to be cooped up in shikai form. Release me!

You're a little fight happy. What's with you?

You want to impress your dear Hitsugaya? Now's your chance.

I knew my sword was right. It was a bit fight happy at times, but there was only one way to prove myself and to catch Taichou's eye. I didn't want to be a helper anymore. I wanted more, but still. There was one person in the way, and even though Hinamori was still convinced Aizen was inherently good, Taichou was there for her, and loved her for it. Even thinking this thought was enough to send me into action.

"Ban..." Matsumoto's eyes widened. "Kai." My reiatsu exploded around me in a multidude of colors and I closed my eyes, savoring the feeling.

"You've achieved bankai!" she gasped. I opened my eyes and smiled at her.

"I told you I would. Are you ready, Matsumoto?"

"Enough!" I turned to see Toshiro walking toward me, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "You will fight me instead." Now this was unexpected.

"Why? I wouldn't have hurt her."

"I know," he said motioning Matsumoto to the sidelines. "I'll have to gauge your abilities myself."

"Hey taichou!" I called as he drew his sword. "Please don't be dissapointed."

"I won't. You've already achieved bankai at your stage. So how can I be?" I smiled and blushed slightly, and watched my captain for his next move.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru." His blade transformed and a chain began to appear, ending in a small cresent blade. I knew about his shikai, and knew if that blade or chain touched me, I'd be in Unohana's with a bad case of hypothermia.

"Are you ready, taichou?" I asked politely. He nodded once, and I breathed once before launching myself at him. Our blades collided and I could feel my zanpakto's thrill over fighting someone as strong as my taichou. We broke apart, and I jumped at him again. He blocked my attack, his eyes calculating every move I made.

"Taichou, don't be mad at me," I warned. "Reddo fire." My sword glowed red and a strong stream of fire shot down toward him. Hitsugaya summoned one of his ice dragons, but even my attack was enough to destroy half of it.

"Bankai." This time, my eyes widened, and I felt a real spurt of fear course through my system. Now, I was fighting in the big leagues. He could probably accidientally kill me with his powerful sword, and I didn't want that.

"Taichou!" Matsumoto called, knowing me all too well. "Are you sure bankai is necessary?" She knew I was scared, and watching the ice wings on my captain made me tremble in fear.

"Are you ready, Kaji?" he asked, turning my words back on me. Before I could answer, I felt him beside of me, and I barely blocked his blow. My eyes widened at his speed, and I knew I was at a disadvantage. I had never used my bankai in battle before, and I didn't know how long I could hold it. I swalled my fear, and used shunpo to try to get behind my captain. He easily blocked my attack, and swiped with his sword. Ice flew out from his and I jumped to get out of the way. Unfortunately, my foot was caught in the attack, and I felt the ice creeping up my leg.

"Reddo Lightning!" I cried, holding my sword to the sky. Lightning forked from the sky and landed on my outstretched zanpakto, and I launched myself at Toshiro once again. When our blades collided, the electricity coarsing through my sword shocked him, and he pulled back. I could feel the ice now creep onto my calf, and knew that it would soon reach my knee, where I would lose a leg and therefore be unable to battle.

He slung the chain at me and I doged, immediately using shunpo and getting beside of him. I slashed, and he dissapeared, and reappeared farther away.

"Tensō Jūrin." Though I knew his physical abilities, I didn't know his attacks, since I had never seem him use any in the battles I had watched. Around me, the air began to get cold, and snow began to fall from the heavens above. I could feel the ice on my leg picking up speed, and I could sense that I was about to collapse from overuse. But I couldn't go out like this. I had to do something.

"Oh, please let this work," I muttered. "Release, all of you!" I commanded, swinging the blade at Hitsugaya. Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, and Wind all released at once, drainging the last of my strenth. As it came toward Hitsugaya, his wings covered his body and my attack slammed into them. Unfortunately for me, the huge attack only caused a slight dent in his wings. Not able to hold myself up anymore, I began to plummet to the ground, and I knew Matsumoto would catch me.

"Kaji!" she cried out, running toward me. Before she could reach me, I felt arms wrap around me and I looked only to see my taichou's blurry face looking down at me. He landed and kept holding me in his arms, though I was complaining.

"We need to take her to Unohana," Hitsugaya said.

"Wait!" I cried out, leaving the arms of Hitsugaya. I collapsed to the ground. "I need you to take the ice off of my leg. Please, Matsumoto?" Both pairs of eyes watching me widened, and went to my leg.

"You should have stopped the fight," Hitsugaya admonished as Matsumoto lifted my robes to assess the damage. The ice had made it to midthigh, and it was cold as hell.

"That wouldn't have been any fun, taichou," Matsumoto answered for me. "I'll have to break it with my sword," she warned. I nodded.

"Do it. Please." I didn't mention the fact that I could no longer feel my leg. But by the expression of Toshiro, I was pretty sure he knew. After all, it was his sword, and he knew the dangers associated with it. With the hilt of her sword, Matsumoto brought it down, cracking the ice around my leg. She kept doing it until it broke off to the knee, and began to work all they way downwards. As she shattered the last part, her sword came down too hard and hit my shin. She gasped and looked at me, an apology on her lips.

"What?" I asked her, not feeling the hit in the least. Her eyes became worried as she understood the danger of the situation I was in, and finally got the last scraps of ice off of my leg.

"All right, it's done." She went to pick me up, but Hitsugaya stopped her. "Go on ahead and get Unohana ready." Matsumoto, quite serious for once, nodded and leapt off toward the Seretei.

"I'm sorry, taichou," I apologized. "I know I shouldn't have gotten hit, but I was too preoccupied with my zanpakto and abilities, and-"

"You did well for your first fight with your bankai." He picked me up and began to use shunpo. We were quiet until we got to the fourth division. Unohana was waiting outside, which meant that Matsumoto had indeed gotten here in time.

"Bring her this way," she ordered. She led me to a room with a large tub in it, and I realized what she was going to do. I began to claw and squirm, trying to get out of Toshiro's arms. He held me tighter, warning me without words to be quiet and behave. I glared at him before quieting and eyeing the tub.

"Please place her in the water." Hitsugaya did as he was told and began to place me in the water. As my foot was dipped inside, I bolted out, holding my arms around my captain's neck to anchor me.

"I am not going in there. That's cold!"

"It's supposed to be," Unohana answered. "Please...will you get in the water?" Something in her serene expression seemed too creepy and I knew she'd use force if it was necessary. I reluctantly let go of my taichou and limped over to the tub. I placed my zanpakto on the ground, and swung over the side of the tub. The water came to my neck, and I gasped at the cold. It was a stabbing sort of sensation, all except for my hurt leg. There, it felt warm.

"Okay. Now we'll warm the tub." She lifted her hand. "Blue fire, crash down."

"Wait, what?" I cried out as the attack hit the bottom of the tub. Around me, the water began to heat, and I cried out in pain. The stabbing was gone, but it was my leg that was overheated and burning.

"There will be some pain, but it was pass soon enough." To cover my tears, I slipped into the water once, and began to massage my leg. As I emerged, water dripped down my face, effectively hiding the tears of pain.

"How does it feel now?" Unohana asked.

"Like I'm in a volcano," I replied, a tad bit nastily.

"Good." Inside, I just wanted to lash out at her, but I knew her calmness was there to prevent me from going and hurting someone around me.

"Taichou, why don't you get Matsumoto to do her paperwork? I don't know if i'll be able to finish it tonight." He rolled his eyes at my statement.

"I don't care about the paperwork."

"But Taichou!" I protested. The pain in my leg was finally dimming, and it only felt as if it was a third degree sunburn in the heat. Not much better, but better than a volcano.

"You need to get better."

"I know, taichou. I shouldn't have let that attack hit me-"

"I mean physically," he replied, a slight twitch in his eye.

"Oooohhhh," I drawled out in mock understanding. "That's what you meant." The twitch intensified, and I fought the urge to laugh. Sometimes, teasing did have its benefits.

"All right. We can transfer her to a bedroom now." I picked myself up and got out of the tub, testing my hurt leg. It was weak and it hurt when I put pressure on it, but I could make it to the room. I began to limp out, but Toshiro came over to me and picked me up again.

"Wait, I'll get you wet!" I said, squirming to get out of his arms.

"You're getting me wetter by moving. Now quit it." His brusque manner made me want to laugh again, but I kept it to myself. I'm sure Taichou didn't need any of my odd humor. Unohana led us outside, and I saw Ikkaku outside.

"Oh, Ikkaku!" I said with a wave.

"Hey kid. What happened to you?" He asked, falling into step beside of Toshiro.

"I was an idiot and didn't get out of the way in time."

"You going to be all right for training tonight?" he asked, seriously.

"Of course. Unohana's going to fix me up and-"

"No. You've got paperwork to do," Toshito interrupted. I grinned sheepishly. So he had changed his mind after all.

"All right. Meet me tomorrow at the training grounds. We'll practice there."

"All right. See you." He left and we entered the hospital room, where Hitsugaya placed me on the bed.

"Now, we can heal you."

***************

I was walking home that night, just enjoying a few moments of solitude. It was nice at nighttime, especially in the mood I was in right now. I was content, and happily so. Not only did my captain help me to Unohana's, he stayed there most of the day, until he was called away for a captain's meeting.

Finally, I got to division 10 quarters, and I opened the door, only to be glomped by Matsumoto.

"Oh, you're so lucky! Up for a new transfer, maybe to a captain's position." I pushed her away.

"What, what?" I asked, clearly confused.

"Didn't you hear? They had a captain's meeting today. Yamamoto-taichou felt a new bankai, and Hitsugaya told them it was you. So, you're up for a captain's seat!" I had to admit, I was floored by the concept. Not only did I just learn bankai, I was now about to be reviewed for a captain's seat. But, that would mean that I wouldn't be in 10 division anymore, and I wouldn't be as close to Toshiro as I could be.

"That's amazing," I replied.

"Isn't it? I got a party set up for us tonight, and you're required to go!"

"But I don't drink," I pointed out for the millionth time since I had known her.

"So? All you need is a party! Now come on." Matsumoto began to drag me outside, but stopped as she bumped into someone behind me. "Taichou!"

"Where are you going?" he asked. By the little twitch in his eye, I figured he'd heard the conversation, and was here to prevent it.

"We're taking her to a party!"

"No you're not. She needs rest, not taking care of drunken lieutenants."

"Taichou!" she admonished, her face pouting.

"No, she's not. And you need to do paperwork." Matsumoto opened her mouth, but shut it, grinning slyly at her captain.

"Ah, taichou," she began slyly.

"Matsumoto!" Toshiro cut her off before she could finish what she had to say, and I watched them both curiously.

"See you taichou," she said with a grin, before leaving us and walking down the walkway. After that, I walked inside and sat at Matsumoto's desk.

"So where's her paperwork?" I asked, grabbing a pen.

"There isn't any." I looked up at him.

"But you said-"

"I lied." I glared at him.

"Taichou, I get in trouble by you when I lie, so I think that it's unfair."

"Did you mean what you said at the training yard?" I thought, trying to remember what he was talking about.

"Er, about my bankai? I did learn it a month ago."

"Not that. Earlier."

"About you never being late?"

"Earlier," he growled out.

"But taichou, you weren't-" I stopped as I realized the obvious. "Oh fuck," I murmured, letting my head crash onto Matsumoto's desk. He had heard all of our conversation. Double fuck.

"Did you?" he perservered.

"Don't ask questions you don't want to hear the answer to," I replied, my voice muffled by my hair around my face.

"I'm asking now. Do you, or do you not, love me."

"I do, taichou. Please don't be angry. Wait, is that why you're kicking me out of the division? I'm sorry about you finding out, but I promise you'll never hear about it again!" I promised fervently, raising my head to look at him.

"Who's kicking you out of the division?" he asked quietly, his face full of surprise from my admission.

"You are. Matsumoto said that I was going to be a captain, and that I might even move to another division. She also said that you brought it up."

"Of course I did. Becoming a captain is an honor."

"Not if I know that I can't protect my squad adequately," I replied, trying to draw him away from the sensative topic of love. "My bankai is very immature, and I can't even use it in battle yet. How could I run a squad with that?"

"That's why it's under decision."

"I decline."

"You can't decline if they haven't offered you the position yet," Toshiro stot back, irritated.

"Doesn't matter. I refuse a transfer and I refuse to be a captain until I can sufficiently fight with my bankai."

"Then why not transfer to a squad that can improve your skills?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Oh, look at the time! Gotta go, bye!" I jumped to my feet and ran towards the door, but not before Toshiro blocked it. "Look taichou, I know you're angry, but-"

"I'm not angry."

"Your eye's twitching," I pointed out.

"Because you haven't answered my question."

"Yes I did!" I cried out. "I do love you, dammit. I told you that, and you heard Matsumoto and I talk about it." My cheeks were on fire by this point, but I pressed onward. "Now that I answered your question, can I go?" He stepped closer to me and I stepped back a step.

"Come here," he ordered, looking at me. I stepped foward again, bringing us so close that our bodies were nearly touching. He lifted my chin and looked down into my eyes.

"You should have told me," he said softly, lowering his head. When his lips met mine, I felt an explosion of sensation around me, and knew that it wasn't a dream. "Because I...do care for you."

Even though he didn't say the world love, I knew it was buried in his admission, and I smiled in contentment.

"I love you, taichou," I whispered, standing on my toes to kiss him again.


End file.
